Beneath The Fine Line
by FortReveuse20
Summary: Magic, evil squirrel? Check. Four friends into Fullmetal Alchemist? Check. Prepared to have their lives drastically changed? Not check. FORMARLY KNOWN AS ANIME, SQUIRRELS, AND GIRLS! OCxOC, later EdWin, mainly EnvyxOC. CHAPTER 13: A tragedy must occur as they struggle with the burden of emotion.
1. Friendship

**Ello! Ello! ELMO! I promise it's better than the summary. I'm open to ideas and LOVE reviews so please leave some! Hope you enjoy this as much as I will. I'll have fun writing this.**

**Rated T: Language (to keep characters in character), violence, and some touchy-touchy in further chapters. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST OR ANY CHARACTERS! OC'S ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT BELONG TO ME.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Introductions**

'_Beep! Beep! Beep!' _My alarm clock went off much to my dismay. The familiar chrome clock stared back at me as I slowly opened my eyes. I groaned and reached out my arm to smack the button back into the clock. I pulled my warm and comfortable sheets closer to me. Five more minutes wouldn't hurt.

'_If Edward Elric were waking me up, it'd be different…'_ I sighed at this lovely thought. Oh yes, I'm a freshman in college and I'm crushing on a fake anime character? Oh yeah.

My restlessness got the better of me and I threw the blue-purple sheets off of me as I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling in my dorm. Lucky enough not to have to share a dorm with some party animal, I had it all to myself.

I groggily waddled off to the bathroom and washed my face, then got in the shower. It was so nice and refreshing against my tired and sore back. Once I got out, I wrapped the towel around me and stared at myself in the mirror. _'You like Kate Hudson…'_ this remark from people always struck me odd. Eh, I guess I could see some resemblance, except my eyes were hazel and my face was oval-shaped and my lips were smaller. But she was pretty so I took it as a compliment.

Once I dried my blond hair, it fell down my back in waves and curls, which I hated. I wished it were straight. I was also ahead of my class and graduated just last year along with three of my good friends.

I grew up in a foster home for the past 5 years. My foster parents were the nicest people alive for wanting to pay for my college, as I was learning to become a teacher.

"Hey, Camile." I heard a familiar voice of my friend Bellatrix Regan knocking on the door. We usually just called her Bella. I opened the door to see a set of DVDs in her hand. I grinned widely.

"Fullmetal Alchemist movie marathon?" we both said in unison. We giggled excitedly and she threw the DVDs in her bag as we headed to class.

"I wonder what they'd want to be if they actually grew up?" Bella asked. She brushed off a piece of lint on her somewhat formal attire.

I snorted and waved a hand in the air. "Alchemists, of course!" I clapped my hands together to signal the classic move. She grinned at me and laughed.

"I'm not so sure I want to be a lawyer anymore…" she said suddenly. I always knew she'd been a little on the crazy side and surprised that she'd even gone through with becoming a lawyer in the first place. Bella wasn't a person to be tamed.

"Just do it!" I said, attempting to cheer her up. Honestly she bitched and complained to me about it all the time and I kinda wanted her to shut up…

She frowned.

"Bella."

"What?"

"Edward would want you to," I smirked and raised my eyebrows suggestively.

"Haha! It'd mean more if Roy wanted me to…ahh," she swooned at the thought of the dreamy colonel. His dreamy dark eyes and hair; I'd always know how to push her buttons.

"Besides," I started. "You're great at arguing." It was true, Bella was going to do and believe _what she wanted to._ She was always great at winning any argument.

She smiled at me and we went separate ways to class. I spotted a tall and familiar handsome boy going to a class next to hers. I nudged her in the arm playfully.

"Hey, is that hunk Luki Shifoy I spy?" I looked down at her smirking. She seemed even shorter to me especially since I was wearing heels at 5'6 and she was only 5'2.

She shook her head and scoffed but I could see her chocolate brown eyes widen with interest as they followed the handsome young man down the sidewalk.

"A lawyer and an engineer~great money!" I said. "And great looking babies—"

"Shush!" Bella told me, getting into her usual spazzy mode. Oh yeah like that wasn't obvious to the poor boy. "Besides, I'm not that pretty." I rolled my eyes at that.

"Bella, yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes."

She shook her head no. "NO!"

"Fine, you're just _SO_ ugly," I said chuckling lightly. "See you tonight at our hunk-fest."

"Huh?" Bella looked at me slightly confused and then a lightbulb flashed on. "Oh! Yeah, our marathon…hehe see you tonight!" she waved at me as she rushed to class.

I watched the brunette rush to class as I gripped my teaching books in my hand. Much to my dismay, they suddenly flew out of my hand. "UGH!" I groaned out loud. "Great…"

"Ooh, looks like you need some help." I looked up to see a tan hand pointing at me and laughing. Wyatt.

"Are you going to stand there and be an idiot or help me?" I spat at him. It was Wyatt Regan, Bella's cousin. They both had brown hair and eyes and he wasn't that much taller than Bella and he _hated_ to be reminded about that.

"Why should I?" he always knew how to push my buttons. I glared at him. I opened my mouth and before I could insult his height, he reached down to pick up my textbooks.

He shook his head. "You're such a dork."

"You're such an ass." We both glared at each other.

"You're a jerk," he said getting up off the dusty sidewalk.

_'What's wrong? Afraid to cuss?'_

"You're microscopic," I said getting up as well and smirking. Score.

"I'M NOT SHORT!" Wyatt exploded. Once he was done with his little hissy fit, he brushed his brown hair over his forehead.

I smirked at him the whole time. "Let's get to class." He just pouted and we walked into class.

_'I swear he's related to Edward Elric'_

* * *

**Luki POV**

I couldn't help but stare. I was in the campus coffee shop and there was Bella. She was so simple, yet pretty. She was never one for much makeup and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, which I respected. I doubt she knew I existed. I mean sometimes I thought she was looking at me, but it was probably someone behind me.

I hated my big nose, and I hated my name. My dad always liked odd names and always disagreed with my mom on everything, which is probably why she left him a long time ago in the first place.

Anyway, I wish I could talk to girls. I'd always try, but they would sometimes make fun of my weight too. That's why I'd started eating less and less at lunchtime and I've been losing weight. Maybe I was just fat at the time. My dad got mad at me because he said I was too skinny now.

I looked over at Bella; she was so nice and much more outgoing than I could ever be.

"Sir? Your coffee." The waitress shook me on the shoulders, which made me jump a little.

"Oh…s-sorry," I said feeling my cheeks burning up and took my cup of coffee. I gingerly sipped it and found my eyes wandering back to Bella. She had her back turned. I knew she liked Fullmetal Alchemist and wondered if I could talk to her about it.

'_Never know unless you try, Luki. Even if it is a bit foreign to you…'_

I found my long shaky legs inching their way to her booth. I was scared out of my mind and I'm sure my stomach had done a full backflip at least eleven times now.

"B-Bella…?" I said quietly. It came out quieter than usual. Also, she would wonder how I'd know her name. _Smooth move, Luki._ I gulped.

"Yes?" She looked up at me a little surprised. Whew, ok so she wasn't entirely weirded out by me.

"I heard you like…um Fullmetal Alchemist?" I said fidgeting with my sweaty hands. "I'm Luki by the way…"

"Hi Luki!" Bella said, somewhat nervously. "And yes I do. Have you heard of them?"

I found myself at an awkward loss for words. She was amazing in person.

"…Um…" I whispered. Little did I know I had brought over my cup of coffee.

"HEY! LOSER" a loud jock suddenly screamed at me and bumped into me rudely, sending the semi-warm coffee to go all over my red shirt. "MOVE!"

Everyone in the coffee shop seemed to stop what they were doing and stared at me. I had coffee all over myself as well as a broken glass on the floor from the excitement. I dared to only glance at Bella. She had her hands up to her mouth.

It was too much…I was a failure. I ran out of the coffee shop back to my dorm with a face that matched my shirt I was sure.

"Luki! Wait!" I could've sworn I heard Bella coming after me but it was probably just my imagination.

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Later that night near six o'clock, Camile found her way over to Bella's large home for the Fullmetal Alchemist movie marathon. Bella's parents were wealthy and were so busy all the time they usually didn't know if someone were over at their house. Camile also couldn't stop teasing Bella mercilessly about what had happened between her and Luki earlier that day.

Camile finished popping popcorn in the kitchen and came to plop down on Bella's fuzzy pink bed.

"Let's do this!" Camile jumped into the air almost spilling popcorn everywhere.

"Camile," Bella said warily. She grabbed the popcorn and put it on the dresser. Camile laughed.

"Which movie should we watch first?" Camile asked still hyper.

"We'll save the movies 'til the end," Bella winked. Camile winked back and made a clicking sound with her tongue. "Gotcha."

"Let's watch Brotherhood." Camile frowned at this.

"Nooooo," she whined. "Envy is a _slug_. _And he dies_!" she said this dramatically.

Bella rolled her eyes. "He's a psychopathic villian and you like that?" She could hardly believe that Camile had a crush on him.

Camile smirked and shrugged.

"Whatever." Bella got up off the bed and popped in the orignal series into the television first.

The opening credits of episode 17 _'House of the Waiting Family'_ and immediately started singing along to the song (rather off key too).

"_Will you stop being such girls?" _Bella and Camile were interrupted when a loud pounding on the bedroom next to Bella's frightened them.

"Shut up, Wyatt!" Bella yelled back. "You know you like this too!"

"Yeah! Why don't you join us?"

_"No and hell no! I have homework!"_

"Oh come on you big baby! Our teaching project isn't due until Tuesday when we go back! Quit ruining a Friday night you butt!" Camile pounded on the wall. When there was no answer, the girls unpaused the show and continued watching it.

"Armstrong!" Bella giggled.

"...THE ARMSTRONG FAMILY LINE FOR GENERATIONS!" Camile had the perfect impersonation of him it was scary. Bella laughed loudly.

"You do have a deep voice," Bella commented.

"I know but it's a sexy deep voice!" Camile retorted.

_"SHUT UP!"_

Camile made a fist and looked at the wall angrily. "I'm about to go all Winry on him."

Bella laughed and gave her friend a warning look. She was well aware of the fact that her best friend since seventh grade and cousin rarely got along, but it was humorous watching the two argue.

After watching at least seven episodes, it was late enough for Camile and she found it hard to stay awake. Bella even had to find some random object to wake her up with.

"WHAT THE HELL? A TAMPON! BELLA!" Camile screeched at the personal product that smacked her in the eye.

"If you're going to sleep, we can finish this tomorrow. We don't go back to campus 'til Tuesday anyway," Bella shrugged.

Camile yawned. "What? Oh—It's," she looked at the clock on the wall. "Nine o'clock."

She got up and retrieved her shoes from the front door. Bella followed. Wyatt was asleep already so they had to be quiet or else he would go mental for waking him up.

"Well," Camile let out another yawn. "Better get back to my dorm before the crazies start driving." By 'crazies' she meant the drunks out on the city roads. Even if she did have to walk home, it was better safe than sorry.

"Ok," Bella gave her friend a hug. "Be safe. See you tomorrow!"

Camile smiled and left, shutting the door on her way out. How she longed to put her drowsy body to rest on her lovely fresh sheets.

* * *

**THE NEXT DAY**

When it was time for Camile to come back over, Bella started to worry. She hadn't answered her phone all day and was getting ready to drive over there and get her herself.

"What's up?"

Bella turned around to see her cousin's nonchalant face. "Wyatt, I'm worried."

"Do you think I should go over and see if she's home?" Wyatt asked. He wouldn't admit it, but he was starting to worry himself.

Bella looked at him a moment before deciding. "I think you should," she nodded.

Without hesitation, Wyatt went to get his keys off of the kitchen hook and stepped out the front door. Bella watched him outside of the living room window and only hoped something hadn't happened to her best friend.

'_Maybe it wasn't a good idea we watched that show.'_

* * *

"Bella!" Wyatt burst through the front door. "Bella!" he said again, slamming the door behind him.

Bella came rushing to the front door. "What! What is it!"

"Camile—" He said, out of breath. "She's missing!"

"What?" It was hard to take in what she was hearing. Wyatt just stared at her and nodded furiously. His bangs were blown to the side from the wind.

"Call the police." Within seconds Wyatt rushed to retrieve the phone from the wall in the kitchen.

Bella couldn't believe this. It hadn't even been a day and her best friend was missing. She felt sick to her stomach.

* * *

**Ok! So I know this will get better and it will pick up steam! This is just to introduce you and stuff! So review and I'll give you a Channing Tatum! Random…I know…but what if he dreams of you? :D R&R please! :)**


	2. Answers With Squirrels And Black Holes?

**Me: Blerebeber! **

**Bella: Justin Bieber?**

**Me: No why would I-**

**Camile: … KABOOM!**

**Bella: …**

**Me: …**

**Me: Camile ! WTH ? You're supposed to be missing?**

**Camile: Tee-hee, ;) you'll have to come find me~**

**Me: -_- that was the plan…right, Bella? (You're so OOC right now)**

**Bella: *on ground from impact of Camile explosion***

**Me: Anyway, on with the show?**

**Camile: F.R. DOES NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!**

**Me: Will you get out of here? *throws corn at***

**Camile: *goes back into the unknown***

**Me: Thanks for reviewing! I was so happy to have 3 reviews in one day! :3 you guys rock! *Throws free Channing Tatums at everyone* hehe enjoy~! (the story not the man)**

* * *

Bella had been pacing back in forth in her colonial styled home all day. She hadn't eaten, hadn't slept and hadn't worked on any of her projects for law class. Wyatt was the only one who seemed calm and Bella wanted to smack him upside the head.

'_Camile Sasha Hansen where are you!'_ she mentally yelled at her friend. It was a silly thought, absurd and childish; to think wishing or praying would bring back her best friend.

"Ow!" it was when she hit her head on the cabinet door under the sink did she really come back to reality. Bella dropped the liquid she grabbed from the dishes she was doing. She was dazed for a few more seconds when she heard familiar snickering.

"You should really eat something," Wyatt said observing his short fingernails. Bella stood up and walked over to him, eye-level.

"How can you stuff your face when Camile has been missing for 2 days?" Bella exploded poking him in the chest. His expression didn't change.

"I'm not," he said cooly. "And there's only so much the police can do, you know." Bella glared at him, but in all reality he was right. The police can only do so much. If any more days were to go by, though, Bella was going to hire a private investigator. She had the money.

Wyatt stared at her, changing his face from bored to slightly worried. "Bell, you ok?"

"We should call mom and dad," Bella said.

"Already did." Wyatt whipped out a cell phone from his pocket triumphantly.

Bella's brown eyes widened a little. "What did they say?"

Wyatt sighed and looked down a little. "They were on their way back from Peru now. But the trip back is going to be 4 days."

Four days! Bella didn't have four days! She needed her friend back now! They were inseperable. They'd been there for each other when nobody else was there. Bella had parents who were always gone and only a cousin adopted into her home when his parents died when he was a toddler. Camile's parents were less than something to ever talk about. They were filthy, pathetic, and undeserving of her love just as much as theirs in Camile's eyes. They left her alone to rot in the cold barrier of a foster home just when she was trying to make something of her life.

Bella knew they'd been through it, and she figured Camile had it worst than she did. But Bella knew Camile; she wasn't someone to do something stupid. Sure, she was more stubborn than a brick wall and wasn't afraid to be honest, but she was highly intelligent. Strangely enough, the two girls found comfort in watching anime in their teen years. They were still teens, technically, Camile at 18 and a half and Bella at 17 and a half. They were above their grade and young for their age but it irked the girls when someone said they weren't old enough for things.

"Then," Bella started, sighing. "Let them take their time." She said the last part bitterly. It was always like her parents to stall.

"Aunt Hisalia answered," Wyatt said. That was Bella's mom. "You wouldn't believe how frantic they sounded. They were in tears."

"Because they treated Camile like another daughter when they couldn't give me a sibling…?" Bella was talking not so much to Wyatt anymore, but he nodded.

"Why are we talking like she's dead?" Wyatt smiled, trying to ease the mood. "Let's get something to eat! My treat!"

Bella chuckled lightly. "And where would that be?"

"Ice cream!" Wyatt shouted happily. Bella laughed at her cousin's childish selection of food. It wasn't really a meal, but it would do for now. Her stomach wasn't ready for a full meal yet.

She took a hairtie from her wrist and put her mid-length brown hair in a high ponytail. Grabbing her light red sweater from the coat rack, she was readying to leave.

A knock in the door interrupted them just as Wyatt's hand hovered over the doorknob.

"It's the police," Wyatt stated, standing on his tiptoes to see out the peephole.

Bella stared. "Well, open it."

Wyatt opened the door to see two typical Chicago police officers. "Hello, Miss Regan. Mr. Regan."

"Um, hi officers?" Bella greeted. "Anything wrong?"

"We have news on Miss Hansen." The officers didn't change the look on their stoic faces. This is what annoyed Bella, not being able to read their faces. Her stomach gurgled again, the unease returning once more.

Bella gulped. "And?"

"We have not had success finding her. But I would not give up hope yet Miss Regan. We are hiring more officers to check other parts of Chicago and then if need be, you'd have to hire an investigator for the entire state."

Bella found it hard to breathe. Well, at least she wasn't confirmed dead…or alive either. The most sickening part was that the officers really weren't answering anything.

Wyatt and Bella stared at each other, most likely just as dissatisfied.

"We won't keep you any longer," the tall officer said. "Have a nice day, Ms. Regan. If we find anything interesting or any news we'll be sure to let you know."

"Thanks…" Bella said quietly shutting the door slowly. She leaned against the door and sighed.

"Idiots…" Wyatt mumbled. "Can't find out something then why the hell come back and tell us _that_?"

"I'm going for a walk." Wyatt stared at her curiously. He looked at the window to see storm clouds building up slowly in the dull gray sky.

"Right now?" Bella didn't answer. She went into her bedroom to find some shoes. Wyatt followed after her.

"You uh do realize it's about to rain, right?" Wyatt asked pointing a useless finger in the direction of the sky. Bella continued to stay silent and shuffled around in her closet before she found some brown flats.

"Always have to match don't you?" Wyatt made a ticking sound with his tongue as he observed her matching outfit. She had on a black t-shirt, long red knit sweater, tan khakis, and brown flats. Typical Bella…he thought.

Bella ran out of her bedroom and down the hall to the front door. She was about to leave before he grabbed her wrist.

"Bella," he sighed. "Here's an umbrella, at least." He took out an umbrella from the hall closet and handed it to her. Bella gave a half smile and left without a word. She figured taking a walk would cool her down. She knew Wyatt hadn't done anything, nor the police, and she was mostly angry with herself for not driving Camile home that night. Bella just didn't want to argue or take it out on anyone right now and it took a good amount of willpower for her to do that.

She was walking down the dusty sidewalks of the Chicago suburbs, lost in her train of thought. Her shoes were too tight for her feet and she could already feel blisters forming, but nonetheless she didn't care.

The clouds began to thicken up and formed from a lifeless gray to a splotchy dark gray, threatening black. The clouds were rather high in the sky yet and Bella figured she'd have at least fifteen minutes before it would rain.

She gripped onto the red umbrella in her hands. The sweat transferring from her hand to the handle and back into her skin. She passed the few homes in her well-to-do neighborhood and was now entering the city. Apartments, apartments, a run-down shop, apartments, some random person, oh look more apartments. It was a boring yet strangley inviting gray and red pattern of buildings.

When the black clouds began to fight for dominance in the sky and threaten to plummet their icy cold droplets of water was when Bella decided to turn around back home. The wind was picking up immensely but it was a warm wind, a warm September wind.

"Damn, it's warm," Bella said to herself. She regretted bringing her red sweater even if the wind did run through it, but she kept it on or else Wyatt's motherly scolding would wag a finger at her once she returned home.

She decided to take it off and run through the park real quick before she got home. She tied the red sweater around her waist and ran past an unfamiliar array of building just across from the park. It wasn't a big park, but it would be fun to run through the rain in.

'_Bella…'_ an eerie voice clouded the atmosphere.

"GOD?" Bella shouted looking at the sky for hope. How cool! God was actually talking to her! Totally a Facebook moment later. Bella was yelling at the sky. She looked rather odd and was fortunate no one was around to see it.

'It's time…' The second time she heard the voice, it sounded rather strange to be God. It was like a woman, an echoing woman with a thousand voices. It sounded cold, mocking, unwelcoming. Not like God at all. "Time for what?" Bella asked. Several seconds past before she stopped looking at the dark sky. She sighed and continued home, a little confused and wondering if worrying about Camile was causing her to lose it. Bella gasped when she looked down. She was about to step on something small, brown, and furry. A rodent…? Bella looked closer, her eyesight wasn't the same with contacts and no glasses. "Stupid squirrel! Get out of my way!" She yelled at the creature. It just stared at her with glassy black eyes. "I'm losing it, aren't I?" Bella smirked at this and pointed a finger at the squirrel. "You're not real." "Of course I'm real." Bella just stared down at the furry creature. It talked…? Yep she was losing it. "Oh my gooooddd!" Bella smacked her forehead and then she laughed, not because it was funny but because she was losing it. "I need sleep…" she sighed and attempted to walk forward. A small gold locket that Bella kept as a fifteenth birthday present suddenly fell out of her sweater's pocket. The squirrel sniffed it for a moment and then carried it off in its buckteeth and took off running.

"Damn you, squirrel! Give me my locket!" Bella immediately started running after the squirrel. As long as it didn't climb up a tree, she didn't mind. Even if it did, she would do whatever it took to get the locket back.

Only when she tripped did her eyesight on the squirrel gave away. The squirrel wasn't anywhere to be found and tripping over a tree root caused her to get the wind knocked clean out. She wheezed and gasped for air.

"Stupid squirrel…when…I get my hands on your sorry…furry…ass…" Bella tried to get up but when she did, she tripped again. But it was different than just tripping, it seemed her leg was stuck and then it struck her—she was falling.

It took a moment to register she fell down an endless black hole, nothing could be heard but her screams and rising heartbeat. Nothing could be felt but the wind from the fall rushing through her hair, clothes, and skin.

'_Damn squirrel…' _was the final thought she had before she completely blacked out on impact.

* * *

Luki was amazed. He had watched the whole thing from his window; Bella Regan was across his house, _his_ house and at the park! He slowly opened his door and attempted to see what she was doing—or at least _whom_ she was talking to. He saw her yelling at the sky but couldn't make out any words.

Only when he heard words like 'damn' and 'squirrel' did he actually approach the park. He felt like such a stalker and reprimanded himself for it, but there was something pushing him there…

_Whoosh!_ He flung his head around from the tree he was hiding behind to see her at least forty feet down the park and on the ground. Luki winced at hearing her body hit the ground so hard and her heavy breathing. She had knocked the wind out of her.

His deep ocean-colored eyes opened in fear and he found his legs rushing to meet her. He saw her get up and relaxed a little, but all that soon faded when she fell into a puddle…? No, it was black and it looked like a hole. Luki immediately rushed over to find what seemed to be an endless swirling black hole in the ground. It was no bigger than twenty inches and he couldn't see Bella anymore.

"Bella!" he shouted after her only to feel himself slowly being pushed into the hole. Luki screamed as he felt the same fate as his crush and blacked out when he hit something very solid.

Beady black eyes stared evilly and chuckled.

"SUCKERS!" The squirrel dropped Bella's locket into the hole and it magically closed up. The park was silent and it slowly began to rain, leaving no sign or instance anything ever happened. The squirrel happily hopped off up the tree to take shelter from the impending storm.

* * *

Wyatt looked out his window as it slowly started to drizzle and eventually pour. He sighed and only hoped Bella would come home soon. But Bella was smart, he thought, and she would have probably found a building by now.

He wandered off into Bella's bedroom and stared at the untouched _Fullmetal Alchemist_ series on her dresser by the TV.

"Guilty pleasure." Wyatt smiled to himself and his brown eyes glowed mischievously. He took the set of DVDs into the living room to watch them.

He plopped down on the sofa and as soon as the opening credits came on, a crash of thunder shook the whole house. Wyatt rolled his eyes and mentally cursed at the storm. He continued watching the opening credits in when—_woom. _That was the sound heard of all electricity leaving the house temporarily. It wasn't exactly dark, but it was dark enough to need a candle or two.

"Ugh!" Wyatt groaned loudly that filled the entire house. It was a good thing his Uncle Winston had taught him some basic tricks when things like this happened.

"Better fix the generator," Wyatt grumbled to himself. He yawned a little and wiped his tired eyes. He went into the kitchen and took out a flashlight. His hands opened the greasy knob of the door that leads into the basement.

_Step—creak—step—creak!_

Sounds of thunder upstairs and several flashes of lightning continue to flood the house, even in the high windows of the basement. Wyatt hit his head on some pipe coming down the stairs that he did not see. He was the same age as Bella and was a little on the short side for a guy and wondered how he could have hit a pipe just now.

He pointed the flashlight around until he found the generator.

"Okay. Now to—" a groan was the last thing to leave his mouth when something cold and rusty hit his back. It was horrible; he could feel it through his spine.

Another flash of lightning and he saw a figure—a shadow. It was too quiet until a flash revealed the figure in Wyatt's startled face. He was no match and clearly outwitted. Wyatt was being beaten, blood threatened to spill out of his aching body. He curled on his knees and yelled out whoever was there to not harm him. In the back of his mind he found this useless but said it anyway.

"Ugh—un…p-lease!" Wyatt weakly pleaded. His pleads were not heard and he felt a tear strickle down his bloody cheek before he passed out.

* * *

**Me: Wow! :O I always knew squirrels were bad! Or maybe I just watched Hoodwinked one too many times?**

**Bella: It's the first one *groans and rubs head***

**Me: Bella! You're supposed to be in a black hole! With a lovestricken stalker boy running after you!**

**Bella: *shrugs***

**Me: *gets some Rudy chalk and draws a hole in the ground***

**Bella: Oh geez not again!**

**Me: :D *pushes Bella down* YOU JUST GOT CHALKZONED**

**Luki: *stares***

**Me: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?**

**Luki: Meep. *Hops down hole too***

**Me: Muwahaha! Good! Now please review and I'll give you people a plushie! Of…Thor! *Drools everywhere* and don't worry! All the FMA people will be seen next chapter! But Envy is coming in like two…poo! So review and let me know how you like it so far and if you want me to change something or you have an idea! THANKS!**


	3. Waking Up

_**Previously:** It's been two days since Camile was last seen. Bella and Wyatt are visited by police explaining they don't have anything on Camile's mysterious disappearance. Frayed by her missing friend, Bella decides to take a walk to clear her mind. When she stumbles upon a park a neighborhood over from hers, a squirrel antagonizes her. Bella drops the locket Camile had given her two years ago and the squirrel runs off with it. She chases after the squirrel only to find herself tripping into an endless black pit. Luki Shifoy lives across from the park and had seen the whole thing. He crouches down next to the black hole and the squirrel pushes him down with Bella. The squirrel drops Bella's locket in the hole before it closes. Back at home, Wyatt is bored and decides to watch Fullmetal Alchemist since it is storming. The power goes out and he goes downstairs to fix the generator, wondering why it hadn't turned on by itself. He is met by a figure he cannot see in the dark and is beaten badly and finally passes out._

**Me: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, although it would be fun, but duh! I obviously don't own it because I'm on fanfiction sillies! NOTE!: I will be changing up the plot of this just a little to avoid copyright and to be more imaginative. I'm mixing the anime and Brotherhood in. Don't like it then don't read. But hopefully you do because I'm putting an arm and a leg into this just like Edward Elric so…have fun reading! (This is only a preview of Envy…it ties together next chapter)**

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Envy was listening to the bickering of Greed and Father about something. He honestly didn't give a damn. Greed had been getting on his last nerve anyway and Envy even tried out his favorite new knife on the sin. He lay on his back in his bedroom and looked at the jagged edges of the weapon he held in his hands. Envy smiled; it was the perfect find. He'd gotten it from some military officer in Liore.

One more admiring glance at the knife was cut short when Lust burst through his room. With the door wide open he could hear all sorts of curses thrown by Greed downstairs.

"What?" he snapped. Lust stood in the doorway with all her seductive beauty.

"Envy, we need to go."

"Where?" he asked her still rubbing his precious weapon with a finger. Blood trickled down and he grinned, then it healed back, then he did it again.

"Out. Greed had mentioned seeing something very interesting down the road," Lust filed her fingertips and calmly waited for Envy to get over his little tantrum. He was in no mood to go anywhere.

"UGH!" Envy shouted, throwing the knife into a slit in his man-skirt. "Why can't _he_ bring it _here_?"

"He's going back to his little hideout," Lust stated calmly. "Father told him he wanted us, being more responsible, to check it out."

Envy gave her a glare with his purple cat-like eyes. "Fine…then why don't we go?" he gritted his teeth.

Lust left the bedroom and waited for him to follow her out. "Gluttony! We're going!"

Gluttony swiftly came around a corner and jumped up the stairs with drool emitting from his inhumanly long tongue. "Can we find something to eat, Lust?" he asked licking the air excitedly.

"Perhaps."

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**~)~(~**

Luki lay on his back on something rather uncomfortable. After the never-ending fall he was surprised he was still alive. Or maybe he wasn't. He slowly opened his eyes and saw calm white ceiling. It took him a minute to register he was in a monochromatic like room. It was a hospital room, he could tell. It smelled like a hospital, felt like a hospital, looked like a hospital.

"Hello?" His voice was dry and hoarse. He needed water. He attempted looking around but it was difficult since his eyes hadn't yet fully adjusted.

"Ah! You're awake!" He saw two strange looking officers standing in front of him. They were both dressed in blue. One was a man with straw-colored hair and one was a woman with short black hair.

"I'm Sergeant Brosh and this is 2nd Lt. Ross," the young man said waving a hand to the woman next to them.

The woman, Ross, spoke up this time. "We found you unconscious in the street outside and we took you here to the clinic. You're friend is also in pretty bad shape but he should recover."

Luki tried to sit up from the bed. "My friend…?" but a shooting pain in his lower back caused him to squirm and cringe. They didn't mean Bella did they?

"Careful, sir!" Ross said putting out her hands alarmingly. "Yes, Wyatt was his name? Anywho, he should be back to normal soon. He has a sprained ankle and a broken rib and you were found with a chunk of stone from a stairwell in your back. They had to remove it, so you may feel some pain from your scar."

"Oh…" Luki said quietly. He had a scar. "You said his name is Wyatt?" he only recognized that name as Bella's cousin. They met once before in a high school math class, but that was it.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, he is more of an acquaintance…honestly." Ross gulped and nodded.

Brosh stepped in. "Must've been a pretty bad fight you got yourselves into, huh?" he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Fight?" Luki looked confused. "No, no. All I remember was finding my friend—ok a girl I like, I won't lie and she fell down this hole. I tried to see her, but I found myself falling as well. And then I woke up here. That's all. I don't remember Wyatt."

Brosh raised his eyebrow. A girl? Now he could respect that. "Well, we didn't find any girl, I'm truly sorry, sir. But maybe your fri—er acquaintance knows more about it?"

Luki nodded. "You don't need to keep calling me 'sir'. My name's Luki Shifoy."

Brosh and Ross nodded. "You can call me Maria if you'd like, Luki," she smiled.

"And I'm Denny."

"Hey Ross did you see Al…?" Ross was cut off when a short boy with a golden braid came in the doorway. He had, what looked like to Luki, a robotic arm in a sling and bandages around his midsection and head.

"No I didn't, sir," Ross said. The boy walked closer in the room. "This is Luki Shifoy. He said he isn't affiliated with Mr. Regan."

"I'm Ed Elric," the boy held out his hand that was flesh and Luki took it. "Looks like you don't remember anything either huh?" Luki shook his head.

"Well," Ed sighed. "Maybe you can travel with us. I'd hate to bring you into something like this but looks like I might have to."

Luki tilted his head slightly. "O-ok?"

"Can you move?" Ed asked suddenly. Luki tried to pry the sheets off of him. But he cringed and Ross and Brosh rushed to each side of him, grabbing his arms for support.

"I think I need a crutch, if you have one. Or maybe a cane…" Brosh rushed over to the corner of the room and grabbed a cane for Luki. He gripped on tightly and slowly got up with nervous eyes watching.

Ed's expression dropped into something dark when he realized his head only came to this guy's chest. He had to be at least a foot taller.

"Whew," Luki exhaled sharply. "I think I'm good now. Thanks!"

The four of them walked out of the room and down the hall. They passed some corners and reached a lone room on the left.

"He's in here."

Luki nodded and then blinked. "How long have I been out exactly?"

"Hmm…you were unconscious when we found you, but that was last night…so maybe 16 hours?" Ross said. Luki nodded slowly.

Brosh's hand opened the door that was already open just a crack. Wyatt's head spun around as he lay up in bed.

He looked absolutely miserable. He had a black eye forming, a busted lip, and several cuts and scraped on his face and neck. Not to mention his brown hair was dirty with sweat, dirt, and dried up blood. Even with all that he managed a small, pained smile.

"Wyatt?" Luki said, hopping over to him. "What happened to Bella?"

Wyatt's face twisted a little. "She went for a walk last I checked. She didn't come home, though." His voice sounded as cracky as Luki's own voice a little while ago.

"I saw her fall down a hole…" Luki said choking up a little. Wyatt's eyes widened.

"Oh crap…"

"But I went after her. Did you see her maybe when you woke up?" Luki's blue eyes searched his face for hope.

Wyatt just shook his head. "Look, man. I woke up next to you, before you did and I was bleeding and couldn't walk so there's no way I would've been able to find her."

Brosh stepped in a little closer. "What exactly does this girl look like?" Wyatt and Luki looked at him.

"She has dark hair about here," Luki made a signal with his arms resting on his shoulders. "And she was wearing a black shirt, tan pants, and a red sweater was what she was carrying. Her eyes are brown too!"

"I told her to keep her sweater on," Wyatt grumbled mostly to himself.

Brosh just ignored him. "We could keep an eye out for someone like her."

The boys nodded.

"Hey," Ed said suddenly. "I'm going to find my brother. I'll be back later."

"I'll be in here, I guess," Luki sighed. Wyatt waved goodbye as the three left.

"Do you realize where we are?" Wyatt spat at Luki. He looked shocked at first and jumped back a little.

"Wha—what do you mean?"

Wyatt smacked his sore head and regretted it because of the pain. But he managed to ignore it for the moment. "Those three we just met—Denny, Maria, and Ed—do you have any idea who they are?"

"N-no," Luki said. "Should I?"

"They. Are. From. _Fullmetal Alchemist_." He said enunciating as though Luki were a little slow at processing, which he technically was at the time.

"We're in a television show?" Luki asked.

Wyatt adjusted himself on the bed. "Well," he said while folding his hands on his lap. "That's pretty obvious." The room was tense and awkwardly quiet for a minute or two.

"Oh."

"It's not just a coincidence!" Wyatt raised his voice a little. "They _look_ like the characters, _sound_ like the characters, have the _same names_. Luki, we're in _Fullmetal Alchemist_."

"What do we do?" Luki asked, a little worried.

"Do what anyone else would," Wyatt put his lips in a thin line. "Play along. That is, if you've watched the series."

Luki was rather unfamiliar with the show and only looked at him like a dear in headlights.

"It's fine," Wyatt sighed. He tried to hide his irritation a little. "I guess I'll just give you an insight of what's going on."

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**~(~)~**

Bella woke up to see dirt in her face and a little in her mouth. She coughed and got up off of the ground trying to ignore the feeling in her sore body. A shiny object fell off her head when she did so.

"Huh?" she looked at it and then saw what it was—her locket! Bella grabbed it and held it to her tightly.

She then looked around and realized she was in a field. It was sunny out and warm and her red sweater was long gone. Her clothes were dirty and a little tattered and was surprised she was uninjured, only a little sore.

"Oh my god this is not happening." She tried to rub her eyes to make the scene go away. The field looked exactly like the one from Resembool in Fullmetal Alchemist.

"I'm dreaming," she said. "Yeah, that's it." Bella found her feet were bare and it hurt a little to walk on the prickly grass, but it wasn't unbearable. She could find shoes later.

After what seemed like a mile of walking in the sun, she came across Winry Rockbell's house.

"Hopefully she's as nice as in the series," Bella groaned. "And doesn't smack me upside the head with a wrench." Bella had to laugh a little at the thought considering what she'd been through already.

_Knock—knock. _

'_Grand, no answer'_ Bella turned to walk around but the creaking of the door prevented her from taking any more steps.

The famous blond character stared at her, a little dismayed by Bella's appearance. "Hello?"

Winry's eyes widened when she saw Bella. _'Oh I must look like a doll if she's going to look at me like that'. _The thought at how she must look disgusted Bella.

"Do you have any shoes?" Bella asked. Winry stared at her a little longer before answering.

"Yeah. Why don't you please come in?" she insisted, rushing Bella into the house. "Are you hungry too?"

"A little…"

"Granny Pinako!" Bella inwardly smiled. That short old lady.

"Yes, Winry?" Pinako came in while polishing some sort of metal thing. Den came over to Bella and sniffed her leg.

"We have a guest and she is very hungry!"

Pinako shrugged. "Ok." And she left into the kitchen.

Winry turned to face Bella. "I'm Winry Rockbell."

"Bella Regan," Bella smiled. Winry smiled back.

"Don't mind me asking but where did you come from?" Bella thought for a moment and decided it'd be best to lay low. After all, she was in a TV show.

"Oh," Bella said modestly. "Somewhere far away." Luckily, Winry just nodded and motioned her to take a seat on the sofa.

"You can take a shower later…I have some clothes and shoes and then we can help you wherever you're going," Winry said.

"I'm not really going anywhere."

"Well…are you unable to stay anywhere?"

Bella stared down at her dirt-encrusted feet. "Sort of. I just woke up in this field down the road."

Winry just smiled. "You can stay with us for a while if you'd like."

"Thank you," Bella said shyly. "Don't mention it!" Winry laughed.

The phone ringing interrupted the two.

"I'll be right back." Bella nodded and continued to sit stiffly on the couch.

"MY BEAUTIFUL AUTOMAIL!" Winry's eardrum piercing screeching almost made Bella fall right off the couch. "HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH A RECKLESS IDIOT, EDWARD!"

Bella plugged her ears trying to prevent herself from going deaf. The dog whimpered and jumped up. She felt bad for the dog; it couldn't plug its ears. Once the screeching subsided, Bella unplugged her ears and sighed. Her heart was going on like a racehorse.

"Heh…heh," Winry burst in the room and chuckled nervously. "Um…is it ok if you come with us to visit some friends tomorrow?"

Bella raised an eyebrow. Edward Elric. He had broken his automail in a fight at Lab 5. She'd already seen this episode. Now that she knew where she was in the show, it was easier to depict what was coming next.

"Sure."

Later at night once Bella had taken a shower and changed into Winry's clothes (which surprisingly fit her nicely considering Winry's slim figure), she took out her contacts that were burning her sensitive eyes and tossed them in the garbage. She figured they weren't going to be useful if she didn't have a case. Bella would figure out something later…right now it was dark and she was as blind as a bat.

She looked over at Den who was sleeping on the floor next to the couch and wondered how she had gotten into this strange predicament.

"Camile…I hope you're here somewhere…" she slowly murmered before falling asleep and wondering where her friend was.

* * *

**Me: YAY! It took me 4 hours to write this! All while listening to OneRepublic, Tears For Fears! And Kanye West when I write about Envy. I don't know why but it's easier to write about him when I listen to it. Haha. Don't ask...**

**Wyatt: Did you HAVE to injure us?**

**Me: Yeah! And aren't you supposed to be giving Luki the talk?**

**Wyatt: *blush* WHAT THE ******

**Me: Not that talk… -_- sheesh. **

**Greed: Heeeyyy guys! *Sparkle!***

**Lust: Greed…mm what are you doing here?**

**Greed: Looking for Envy.**

**Me: OMG HI GREED! *Hugglez* ENVY GET OUT HERE!**

**Envy: HEY GUYS! *Sexy sparkle!***

**Greed: GRRR! COME HERE YOU LITTLE—**

**Envy: *picks up Greed and tosses him into China***

**Envy: Mission accomplished.**

**Me: Envy! Do you like Kanye West?**

**Envy: Umm I don't know who that is?**

**Me: Yes that is true!**

**Envy: …? Um, I just want to play with my knife…*grumble grumble***

**Me: Now now young man that's dangerous.**

**Lust: Isn't he supposed to fall in love, F.R.?**

**Me: Yes but that's waaayyy down the road yet. He's gotta meet his darling angel first!**

**Envy: ****! $*%&( ! NO WAY AM I FALLING IN LOVE! I'M A HOMUNCULUS!**

**Me: All the more reason to! :D Until next time, folks!**


	4. Amnesia, Vampires, And Homunculi

_**Previously: **Envy is lying on his bed with a new knife when Lust comes in and says they have to go check something out down the road because Father thinks Greed would be too irresponsible while dealing with it. Luki wakes up and finds himself in a clinic with Sgt. Brosh and 2nd Lt. Ross explaining they found him and his friend Wyatt beaten up pretty badly on the street. Edward Elric comes in and introduces himself. Luki decides to go see Wyatt and find out if he found Bella. Wyatt explains he didn't know where Bella was and is asked by Brosh what she looks like because he would keep an eye out if he found her. Once Brosh, Ross, and Edward leave, Wyatt explains to Luki that they are in the TV show, Fullmetal Alchemist. Bella wakes up in a field in Resembool and stumbles upon the home of Winry Rockbell. She is allowed to clean up and stay there for as long as she likes. Winry comes in and explains the following day they would have to visit Edward Elric. Bella drifts off later that night and only hopes Camile is somewhere in the strange world too._

**Me: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. Thus, the reason I only own my OCs. Camile makes an appearance! YAY~! Why do I think 'Dreaming Out Loud' by OneRepublic is such a fitting Homunculus song? I don't know but have fun reading and don't forget to review! ;)**

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**~(~)~**

Camile woke up to be surrounded by trees and lots of them too. She rubbed her head and looked around.

"Middle of the forest. Great," Camile rolled her eyes. She got up and was surprisingly okay. After that stupid squirrel dragged her down a hole, she figured she was a goner.

"Okay then…" Camile figured she'd might as well walk around and wonder how to get out of there. She stood on her feet that had the uncomfortable pins and needles feeling. She shook her feet and began walking, trying to get some blood flow through them.

On her way passing several trees, she got distracted by pulling leaves out of her long sandy blond hair and nearly ran into a tree. Her clumsiness had returned.

When she reached an old abandoned-looking house at the edge of the woods, she slowly snuck around to the front door, but saw something that nearly made her faint.

The guy had round black glasses, some weird pants, some sort of outdated vest and a skin, and she meant SKIN tight, shirt on.

"Hey at least he has abs," Camile shrugged to herself. Something threw her off though. The man seemed to be looking all around as though he lost something or was hunting something.

"Greed…?" Camile whispered and thought to herself.

"Either I lost my mind or this guy is a really good impersonation! OMFG is he my kidnapper?" Camile had so many questions and asking herself wasn't really getting anyway but she didn't care.

Greed stopped in his tracks. He was a good distance away, Camile figured. But his sharky smirk split his face and he seemed to be looking in her direction. Camile's heart sped up and she ran into the house without hesitation. She locked the door behind her and ran into the closest room—the bathroom.

"Ok, I haven't been kidnapped," Camile, said in thought. "Or I would probably have been raped and chained to a bed or something by now…" she let out a small laugh and looked into the grimy mirror.

"Ew, I look so pale…" she thought. She stared at her reflection for a little longer before she had an idea. That idea consisted of her taking out a red Sharpie she remembered she had in her pants pocket and take off the cap.

"If those really are homunculi out there," she thought. "Then I should play along."

She took the red sharpie and drew two red dots vertically on the right side of her neck. She put the cap back on and put it back in her pocket.

Camile looked in the mirror and smiled. She looked like she hadn't slept in a few days and her usually fair skin was even paler somehow. If she really was in _Fullmetal Alchemist_, which didn't surprise her at this point, she was going to be a vampire.

She opened her mouth and observed her canine teeth that seemed sharper and longer than the rest of her teeth. She had braces and they were straight but for some reason her canine teeth never really took to braces. Camile remembered that Wyatt always called her "vampire" because of it.

Once she was satisfied with her 'look' she slowly breathed in and out, waiting for Greed to burst through the door any moment. She sat there for a while…and then more time passed. It was probably twenty more minutes later.

"Well," Camile sighed. "Can't sit here forever." She slowly opened the rusty door and looked all around the tiny house. No sounds could be heard except the creaking of wood from her own footsteps and the occasional bird outside.

Camile decided to skip along into the kitchen rather quickly and brandished a rugged knife from a drawer.

"HAHAHA!" Camile laughed menancingly. "IF YOU'RE HERE I DARE YOU TO SHOW YOURSELF!"

Silence. A little too much.

"GREED GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE _**NOW**_!" Camile shouted. She was ready to fight and he was discouraging her.

She moved from the kitchen over to the window and saw absolutely no sign of Greed anywhere. In an act of pure bravery, she burst open the front door waving her knife around in the air.

"WHERE ARE YOU HIDING!" Camile shouted. She was only met by more silence and a few birds flying to the trees for cover after she gave them little bird heart attacks.

Camile looked all around and was purely confused.

"Well he's gone~!" Camile shrugged happily and skipped back inside to find something to eat.

She opened the fridge to see nothing but cobwebs.

"_**EW!**_ OH MY GOD!" Camile had to keep herself from barfing at that moment. She covered her nose and turned to open the cabinets; same thing, more cobwebs.

Camile sighed. "Okay…looks like I may starve." Her stomach grumbled and it was starting to give her a nauseous feeling.

She started to rummage anything for some food, but all she found was mostly dirt, sand, and cobwebs. After a while she would probably find a rat or something in that filthy house so she ran outside, with her knife of course, and ran into the woods.

Camile ran uphill a little and attempted to get to a bush with little berries on it at the top. Gravity got the best of her and she slid down on her bottom.

"OW!" She yelled and stumbled to the bottom of the hill. "I GOT STICKS IN MY FRICKING PANTS!" she awkwardly pulled out the prickly branches from her shorts and walked back to the house, discouraged.

She attempted to reattach the hinges of the front door she burst through while looking for Greed. The door resisted and she got so frustrated that she just left it alone and tried to close it the best she could.

Camile went over to the sofa, which seemed to be the last thing intact and she took a nap on it for a while. She tried to adjust herself on the couch but couldn't really get comfortable. She attempted fluffing the pillow beneath her head but dust spurt out of it and she had a coughing fit.

Camile groaned and threw her head back repeatedly trying to make her tired—not like that would help the situation. She was still as hungry as heck!

"Shut up," Camile growled at her stomach, only to be met by even louder growls. She whined and squirmed around on the couch. After a while of fidgeting she just lay there, staring at the ceiling and breathing in and out.

Camile's attention turned to the front door when she heard muffled voices talking. She gripped her knife and slowly got up from the couch and inched her way toward the door.

"Are you sure Greed saw someone here?" an effiminate voice growled, obviously irritated.

'_Envy?' _Camile blinked. Maybe she really was in _Fullmetal Alchemist._

"That's what he said." Camile heard a rather sexy woman's voice this time. She raised an eyebrow at the woman's voice.

Camile sworn she heard drool dripping off of something—or someone. "Can we eat them, Lust? Huh? Huh? Can we?" Camile heard a rather eager voice ask.

'_What the eff? __**Eat**__ me? I am __**not**__ getting eaten today!' _Camile gripped the knife even harder in her hands and leaned closer to the door.

"We'll see Gluttony." Camile heard a loud whimper at the woman's response. She found herself getting angry and leaned her ear to the door. She must've leaned too hard and got too angry because as soon as she did, the weak wooden door couldn't support Camile's weight.

Next thing she knew, she was on the ground outside on top of what was once a door now in shattered pieces of wood. This slightly surprised Camile considering she wasn't all that heavy and was in reality, rather slim.

The woman spoke this time. "Oh. Well I guess he was right." Camile rubbed her forehead that smacked dead-on with the sharp part of the door and groaned. Within seconds Camile felt strong hands grip her arms and lifted her right up in the air to face some pissed off looking violet eyes.

"Who are you?" the one who was carrying her up in the air by her arms asked. Camile was right; it _was_ Envy! She never got tired of that girly man—especially his voice.

Camile could not withold the sudden urge to bust out laughing and that's exactly what she did, much to Envy's annoyance. His grip tightened on the girl as she laughed in his face.

"What's so funny?" He growled. Camile let out one more chuckle and then grinned at him. "Oh, nothing, really."

'_Ok Camile. He's like a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, 8 times more very irritable guy. You need to pull yourself together.'_

Envy still didn't let her go. Her feet were dangling a few inches above the ground. "I said…_**who are you**_?"

"Camile," Camile replied. Envy's purple eyes narrowed slightly and his grip loosened. Her feet hit the solid ground. She was surprised her and Envy were eye-level.

"I'm Lust, this is Envy, and this is Gluttony." It was the woman who spoke this time. Of course Camile already knew who they were, she was just going to play stupid.

"Can I eat her?" Gluttony looked at Lust excitedly while flapping his tongue everywhere like a dog. A little drop of spit hit Camile's face and she flinched and wiped it off.

"N—"

"NO!" Camile interrupted for Lust. "No, no, no, no, no! I am not something edible. Believe me I'm not."

Envy crossed his arms and smirked. "Oh are you sure?" Camile glared. "Let's test that."

"Look pineapple," Camile started casually, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm guessing you guys aren't human. So let's try and get along, shall we?"

Envy growled as he smacked her hand off of his bare shoulder. "Good job."

"So I'm right?"

"First off are _you_ human?" Envy smirked slightly and got uncomfortably close to her face peering into her hazel eyes. He wasn't that much taller than she was.

Much to Envy's surprise, she didn't even flinch and still had a bored look on her face. "What is that, like, a challenge?" she crossed her arms.

He backed away a bit. "You just don't seem like the _typical_ human. That's all."

'_Wow, considering I'm not the 'typical' human, and it's coming from Envy, I'm going to take that as a serious compliment!' _Camile inwardly smiled.

Camile raised an eyebrow and threw some hair behind her shoulder, trying to reveal the two expertly drawn dots on her neck. "No, I'm not the 'typical' human."

Lust gave out a little gasp as Envy just stared at her—softening a bit of his irritation.

"A vampire…?" Lust said in surprise. "Really?" Camile nodded, smirking smugly.

"Well, if you're really a 'vampire' then how come you're letting sunlight from the trees touch you right now?" Envy pointed out. His ego was starting to get as big as his mouth.

"Because that's a stereotype," Camile made up. "Some are different than others. Duh, I thought _you_ would know that some vampires _can_ survive sunlight."

Envy glared at her. "Show me some of your powers." He commanded.

"I can't."

"What? What do you mean you 'cant'?" Envy said gritting his teeth. He was starting to disbelieve she was really a vampire at all. Camile could tell and tried to throw away all signs of nervousness from her face and demeanor.

"I woke up—a little over there. All I remember is having my powers sucked away…" Camile tried to look as guilty and sad as possible. She looked up and for the most part it was working in a way she guessed a homunculus would believe a sob story—by raising an eyebrow.

At that moment, Camile realized she was in deep shi-z and a part of concious yanked at her for it, but she tried to push it away. If she was going to pretend to have amnesia—damn it—she just was!

"Then you should be a good fighter," Envy said pointing his head in the direction of her knife. She stared down at it.

"I just told you!" Camile sighed angrily. "All I remember is waking up over there. With no powers, no fighting, and no memory! _Comprendez?"_

Lust looked at her observingly. "Maybe we could help you then." Camile raised an eyebrow at this.

"But only if you help us first," Lust added.

"How?"

"We have others like us at our—house. And we can help you get your powers back if you help us with research."

Camile pouted a little. "You guys are homunculi aren't you?"

Envy stepped in. "And how did you know that, princess?" Oh no way was he calling her that.

"'Princess'?" Camile sighed, shoving off the name. "Vampires are familiar with homunculi and the whole ordeal. You are artificially created humans—a failed attempt at human transmutation and have memories of the person who died and yada yada. You guys are similar to us except we are just pretty much pale humans with a bunch of powers."

Envy looked shocked at how much she knew. It lasted only a few moments before his usual irritation took over his face. "Well, you certainly aren't human then…if you know that much." He had to give it to her—it was better knowing she wasn't human.

Camile nodded proudly.

"Well, we should get back," Lust said. "This your house?"

"No, I just was using it to find food. I'm really hungry."

"Well I think you'll be pleased at the food at our—place." Camile smiled wide and hugged her. Lust just gave her a strange look and sighed. She sure was an odd one.

After a little bit of walking, Camile decided to make small talk. "Soooo, Envy?"

He ignored her.

"Hey!"

"…"

"Yo!" Camile beamed. "How old are you?"

"…Ugh…"

"What's up?" Camile drawled trying to sound cool. "Yo! Envy! Envymeister! Envy the Cool Guy! Envy the—um—Envy!"

Envy snapped his head and glared at her. "Just because you're not human, doesn't mean we can't kill you."

Camile scoffed. "I'm complimenting you, dumbass."

Envy growled at her. "What did you just call me?" he snarled.

"You heard me," Camile said curtly and looked straight ahead trying to ignore him. He was beyond puzzled and pissed at how unafraid she was of him.

Envy raised a fist and was about to beat the daylights out of her when Lust interrupted his contact with her own fist. "Envy!" Lust scolded and threw his hand out of the way, stabbing him with her fingernail.

"We need her uninjured if she's going to be for research." Envy just growled and stomped ahead away from the annoying brat.

Camile looked at the prostitute—as she called Lust in her mind—curiously. "What do you mean 'research'?"

"Just research. You'll see." Camile just nodded and walked with the homunculi in silence through the streets they came into. They took a couple of turns around corners and came to a very cool looking secret hideout.

"This is so cool! You guys liv—" Camile was cut off when Envy's hand encased her mouth.

"Too loud," Envy groaned and shrugged. Camile was starting to get annoyed with this green-haired ass. And to think she liked him—he was different on TV! He wasn't annoying the crap out of you!

**~)~(~**

"Your powers are back to normal." Camile stared at Dante who just put some weird voodoo magic on her.

Camile turned to walk away. "You're staying here," Dante said firmly.

"Huh?" Camile inquired. It came out ruder than she meant.

"It's not like you have a place to go," Dante said. "You have amnesia don't you?"

Camile nodded, still a little confused at _how_ exactly she got powers. She didn't even have them in the first place and she could only hope Dante didn't curse her or something.

Dante didn't look at her. She just continued to read the book at her desk.

"Um, Miss Dante?"

"Hm?" Dante said still reading.

"Thanks?" Camile said a little unsure at how this—woman was so nice to her. She _had_ to know Camile was a human!

"Just be back here at noon tomorrow for our research." Camile stared at her. So she was going to test her newbound powers? With Camile's luck she'd end up injured possibly and die if they found out if she was human—that is if they were going to do what she thought.

"Am I going to fight?" Camile asked. "Yes," Dante said, turning a page in her book.

"Who?"

"Envy…most likely. Or Wrath. Depends on how well you do with Envy first." Camile gulped. She was dead no doubt! She knew Envy; he would absolutely **not** go easy on her! Wrath was like a little devil-child behind all the sweetness she met a little while ago. No, she _was_ going to die!

"Dante?" Camile started. "I'm not really _immortal_…"

This got Dante's attention. She looked up from her book and looked at her. "Oh…?"

"Well…uh I mean I _am_ but I'm not. You see…I can die but I don't really age. Stupid package deal with my group of vampires."

Dante didn't seem to notice Camile's nervousness. "I'll have Envy be your bodyguard then, instead of a duel. Or Wrath. Take your pick."

Camile let out the biggest sigh of relief in her life. But then her chest tightened again. Envy as her bodyguard? She'd rather stab herself ten times over! She sighed inaudibly and lowered her head in her hands.

"Not going to answer?" Dante inquired, rather bored and uninterested more than irritated.

"…Um—"

"Ok. Envy it is," Dante decided and returned back to reading. Camile just stared at her and mentally slapped herself for not choosing Wrath right away. Stupid fricking spacing out!

"Go!" Dante ordered. "Come back here tomorrow at noon!"

Camile walked out of Dante's study confused and dazed. She felt miserable having Envy of all homunculi as her _bodyguard_! She knew Dante wanted to keep her alive for research but if research were going to be painful, Camile would rather be dead…less pain that way.

If there was anyone she was scared of, it was Dante!

"I just hope research doesn't include injecting me with Philosopher's Stone or something…" Camile sighed to herself. She went down the hall and into the room she shared—yes _**shared**_—with Envy and Wrath. Camile couldn't quite get over that.

"Got your powers back?" Camile wasn't even in the room two seconds before Envy was in her face.

She glared at him and scoffed. "Nooo we had tea and crumpets," she said sarcastically.

Wrath chuckled a little but Envy gripped his wrist death-tight and he let out a little yelp.

"I take that as a yes princess?" Envy inquired.

"Again with the nicknames?" Camile sighed.

"I don't care," Envy smirked. Camile rolled her eyes and sat down on the bed next to theirs. They shared the bunk bed on the left side of the room and she had the one on the right.

"How would you like it if I called you pineapple or palm tree?" Camile asked, sighing as she lay down on the surprisingly comfortable bed.

Envy crossed his arms and looked away. "I'd snap all your pretty little fingers off…"

Camile smiled and chuckled. "Good! Then don't call me that."

"…Princess…"

Camile shot up from the bed, nearly hitting her head on the bunk above her. "Palm tree!"

Wrath looked at the two; a small smile playing on his lips.

Envy shot his glare in her direction. "When do you shut your mouth?"

"When do you learn?" Camile said throwing her hands at him.

"I learn," Envy said pompously. "Just not from flat-chested pretty girls like you."

Camile looked down at her chest. Ok, so she never really had that much to show but she still had something. "I am not! Wait…pretty?" she felt her cheeks heat up and it was a good thing he didn't see it in the dark room or he would tease her to no end.

"Yes," Envy said slowly and a little confused. "Pretty." He said 'pretty' oddly…as though he was assuring himself she was _only_ just that.

"You're pretty too!" Camile giggled and lay back down on the bed. She was sleeping in her clothes but she didn't really bother asking for some gothic-looking pajamas at that point. It was late and she just wanted sleep.

She heard Envy growl and she just chuckled to herself along with Wrath, who had climbed up into the top bunk of Envy's bed.

It was silent for a while until Camile had an unknown laughing attack.

"What?" Envy asked seething his teeth.

"Nothing," Camile said turning on her side with the biggest grin. She took an extra pillow at the end of the bed and threw it at his face playfully. She heard him shout a _really_ bad word and couldn't help but laugh. Wrath was laughing the entire time.

"Go to bed already!" Envy screamed resulting in very loud agitated groans and pounding from Lust and Gluttony down the hall.

"What am I going to do with you two…?" Envy grumbled to himself, although he failed at not being heard.

Silence was filling Envy's ears for at least five more minutes and he was about to fall asleep—_almost_.

"HAHAHAHHHA!" Camile burst out suddenly.

Wrath joined in too. "HAHAHA! Heeeheeee hoo ha!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU NOW?"

"Nothin'," Wrath responded. "Go to bed."

Envy let out a small shout. "THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO SMART ASS!"

"No," Camile said. "Not if you're yelling at us going like 'grr I'm Envy I'm yelling at you'," Camile mocked Envy's voice scary well. Wrath giggled.

Envy was so frustrated that he kicked the top bunk so hard that it almost sent Wrath up into the ceiling.

"SHUT UP!" Envy growled one last time. Wrath was shaking a little—considering he almost got stuck in the ceiling.

"…Poopy head…" Camile murmered inaudibly.

Envy growled, beyond annoyed. He was absolutely pissed at the two for deriving him from much-needed sleep. If this kept up he was _forcing _Dante to make Camile sleep on the damn floor for all he cared!

"Will you stop?" Envy said with anger seething through every letter.

"Maannnn!" Camile drawled rather deeply and chuckled lightly. "You have some good ears!"

Envy took the pillow that was on the floor from where Camile threw it at him earlier and smacked it into her back so hard it had an echo.

"OWW!" Camile whined.

"You okay?" Wrath asked. At least he cared.

Camile rubbed her back and frowned. "Yes, thank _you_ for asking, Wrath!"

She gave Envy a dirty look that didn't really work very well because the room was technically pitch black except for the lights in the hallway that seeped under the door.

Wrath beamed. "You're welcome!"

Envy rolled over onto his stomach and threw his pillow over his head and tried to drown out the idiots that he had to share a room with. It seemed to work very well because within minutes he fell fast asleep.

* * *

**Me: Ok, I lied! The more I think of it, Camile and Bella aren't so much like my friend and me. Honestly, the more I write this the more I think they are developing their own personalities. But if I were to meet Envy, I would act like Camile and would he would probably get really annoyed with me and I'd die. :D ah well he's adorable.**

**Envy: WHO YOU CALLING ADORABLE! I AIN'T ADORABLE *unintentioned adorable pout***

**Me: Oh nooooo (sarcasm) you're just so friggin' ugly *Pinches cheek***

**Me: I gots an idea! We should review for the sake of bugging Envy!**

**Envy: That's the worst idea I've ever heard.**

**Me: Oh shush you joy killer**

**Envy: Bu—**

**Me: *places fingers over Envy's mouth***

**Me: Please review! And thanks to all those lovely reviews I got in the past chapters! :) Peace out homies!**


	5. Traveling And Ice Cream Phantoms

_**Previously: **Camile wakes up two days after the darned squirrel pushes her into the land of FMA. She stumbles upon an abandoned crumbling home and finds Greed from a distance. Camile, rather frightened, runs into the house and locks the door. She decides not to be scared and pretends to be a vampire and grabs a knife from the kitchen. She bursts out the door looking to fight Greed but he left a while ago. She tries to find food but is unsuccessful and tries to sleep instead, which proves more unsuccessful. Camile is met by voices not much later and stumbles upon Lust, Gluttony, and Envy. She tells her story as vampire and they surprisingly believe her. Lust tells her that they will let her stay with them, if she allows them to research on her. Back at the homunculi mansion, Dante 'gives Camile her powers back' and tells her that she will prove this by fighting Envy or Wrath. Camile makes an excuse and says she is not exactly immortal and Dante chooses Envy to be her bodyguard and keep her alive for future research. Later, Wrath and Camile antagonize Envy by keeping him up when he is trying to sleep._

** .EVER. Parents jumping down your throat about EVERY LITTLE THING? Not fun. -_- After this, and maybe chapter 6 or 7 will be the last sort of 'following the plot but not really' sort of chapter(s). After that I'm putting in my new ideas because I have plans for this up to chapter 15! So I plan to make it pretty interesting. Thanks for reviews~~! I DO NOT OWN FMA OR THE CHARACTERS…ONLY THE OC's.**

* * *

**~()~()~**

"Edward hold still!" The sounds of Winry's wrench and screams from Edward made everyone in the lobby stare and sometimes laugh. The latching of screws made people stare, but it was Edward's screams that made it amusing.

"That doesn't sound wrong," Wyatt mumbled to himself, grinning. Luki nudged him in the side that wasn't sore and grinned.

…"Are you sure he'll be okay?" Luki asked after a short excruciating scream.

Alphonse looked his way. "Oh yes. Winry's practically a pro, brother is just being a little wimpy," he laughed. Luki smiled and looked at Bella who was sitting across from him.

Bella just politely smiled at him and quickly looked down, blushing. She couldn't believe he was worried about her after that fall.

Some more silence ensued. Alphonse just sat there taking up an entire bench, Wyatt tapped his foot impatiently, Luki and Bella kept coyly staring at each other, and Brosh and Ross left after Armstrong and Hughes came along.

This is how the whole Armstrong conversation went when Winry was finished with his newly repaired automail arm.

"Edward Elric!" Armstrong said angrily. He gave the blond boy a warning look and ripped his shirt.

"WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THING YOU DID TRYING TO TAKE ON HOMUNCULI ALL BY YOURSELF WITH YOUR BROTHER!" He sobbed and held Ed tightly, almost giving him another injury.

"Geez, Armstrong," Ed said coughing after he was released. "We won't do it again, okay?"

"You won't? I don't even have to give you a lecture?" Armstrong inquired.

Ed gave out a nervous sigh. "Um…no."

"OH WHAT A BEAUTIFU—"

Hughes walked in the perfect timing and held out his hands to Armstrong. "All right that's enough! Let's not give the boy more injuries, okay?"

Armstrong and Hughes both let out a nervous laugh. "So is Fullmetal going to stop this crazy Philosopher's thing as well?" Hughes said this while looking at Armstrong. Ed raised an eyebrow at this.

"They do realize he's like right there don't they?" Bella whispered to Luki, which almost made him jump straight into the air.

"Oh…I don't know…probably," Luki said, blushing at the proximity Bella was at.

"Oh you don't know Edward Elric don't you?" Armstrong said, still facing Hughes and with his back turned to Ed. "He's the Fullmetal Alchemist! Of _course_ he'll still go after it and probably with his sexy automail mechanic too!" Winry had a weird look on her face after hearing this.

"What did you say about Winry?" Ed seethed. But the two men ignored him.

Hughes pondered this. "Yes, I suppose he will. But it is quite dangerous…think Mustang will let us go with him?"

"I'm RIGHT HERE!" Ed shouted. The two men finally looked at him as though nothing ever happened.

"And I'm not a kid!" Ed argued a vein threatening to poke out of his head. "Besides, I'm getting help!"

"Brother…" Al whispered.

"From us?" Armstrong and Hughes inquired. Ed shook his head. "No."

"From our old alchemy teacher in Dublith," Al continued. "She was going to teach us some skills to better our alchemy."

Hughes raised an eyebrow. "Hmm well what about Winry, your future wife? Is she going?" Winry awkwardly left the room after that.

Ed raised a fist. "WHAT!"

Hughes let out a light laugh. "Haha, joking!" Ed didn't drop the glare.

"Well if you were going to have someone assist you, then I guess it wouldn't be so bad."

Ed crossed his arms proudly, like a child winning an argument. "Glad you see it my way, colonel."

"EDWARD~!" Armstrong said strongly. "Don't forget to contact us if you need…ASSISTANCE!" He showed off his dazzling muscles with sparkles practically glowing off of them.

Ed nodded nervously. "Will do."

"I think you should talk to Winry," Bella said pointing her thumb in the way of the waiting room. "She's pretty…dazed."

Ed flinched a little and nodded. Hughes threw his arm around Ed's shoulder.

"I remember when I first met Gracia. Ah," he sighed longingly and had a faraway gleam in his eyes.

"WOULD YOU STOP!" Ed shouted. Hughes laughed and backed away from the fuming Ed. He and Armstrong soon left, leaving an awkwardly silent Al, Wyatt, Luki, and Bella in the room.

"What's a Philosopher's Stone?" Luki asked innocently, breaking the silence. Wyatt had already told him earlier but he didn't want to seem like a suspicious know-it-all.

Ed sighed and sat down on his bed. "From what I know it's a stone that contains souls…"

Luki looked at him with horrified eyes. "That's awful…" he muttered quietly. Wyatt gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"And a group called homunculi are using it to try and become human," Ed gritted his teeth. "We're trying to stop them."

"And we're also trying to get our bodies back," Al added.

"But you already have your body," Bella pointed to Edward.

"Not my arm and leg," he sighed. "But if I can just get Al's body back I'll be satisfied." Bella nodded.

"Maybe we could come with you?" Wyatt asked. "Seriously, we could help you on this journey."

Ed pouted. "It's too dangerous."

"Can't we learn alchemy?"

"I…" Ed thought for a moment. "Maybe I can't teach you…but maybe our old teacher can."

"Who is most likely going to murder us once she sees us!" Al cried out, his armor was shaking. Ed grabbed onto him.

"I know! We're going to die!" Ed screamed.

"Is she really that bad?" Bella asked, pushing the glasses Winry gave her up on her nose.

Both brothers stopped shaking a little and nodded profusely. The three gave each other weird looks.

"Well, a fierce teacher may be what we need. I know about the homunculi," Wyatt said matter-of-factly. "And frankly, they're a pain in the ass."

Ed stopped shaking. "Well, if you she _allows_ it then it would be good having you learn alchemy. Although the military may be hounding you…"

"I don't care. I want to help."

"Then let's go to Dublith!" Al said happily.

"Oh not without me you're not." Winry walked in the room with her hands on her hips.

"Winry…" Ed said with a facepalm.

"But I want to go to Rush Valley~!" Winry chirped and swirled around.

"Alone?" Ed didn't seem too fond of the idea. Winry stopped spinning and narrowed her blue eyes on him.

"I can go with her," Bella said. They all stared at her. Luki's heart dropped a little at the thought of something happening again.

"You would?" Winry looked at her hopefully. Bella nodded half-unsure as Winry gave her a little squeal and a tight hug.

"Good, then both of you would be out of our way…" Ed grumbled to himself.

Al looked at him and if he had a body he would frown disapprovingly. "Brother, don't be rude."

"So Luki and I can learn alchemy." Wyatt crossed his arms and smiled.

Ed smiled. This was going to be fun.

* * *

**~()~()~ Two days later ~()~()~**

"Oh come onnnnnn!" Camile drawled throwing her head back. "It's not that hard!"

Envy gave this annoying girl a look as he spooned some more of his cereal at breakfast. Now she was going to tell him how to go shopping? Like hell he needed new clothes.

"It is for him," Lust said suddenly without looking up from her breakfast. Envy gave her a glare and nearly slammed his fist on the table.

Wrath giggled and looked up at Camile from his seat next to her. "So sissy do you want to go shopping?"

Camile was a little shocked that he asked her. Sure she wanted to! And boy was she loving the fact he called her 'sissy' from the moment she introduced herself to him. He was legit the cutest and most vicious kid she'd ever met!

"Really?" Camile said, placing a hand on her chest. This excited Camile. Lust was so nice to offer some of her clothes and honestly, there was only one dress in there that was _appropriate_—and Camile liked that one and that one only. Lust gave her an extra pouch of makeup to make up for the lack of clothes.

Wrath nodded and smiled. "Yep! Envy and I can take you!"

Camile felt a little sad but didn't let it show to the cutie next to her. She swore she saw Envy's knuckles pop right out as he made the tighest fist she'd ever seen.

"What? I'm not taking _her_ shopping!" Envy shouted at Wrath. He only stared at the raging green-haired sin with innocent eyes.

Wrath shrugged. "But, Envy! It would be nice."

"You're just _now_ figuring out I'm not nice?"

"Pleeeaaaassseee Envy?" Camile and Wrath pleaded at the same time with adorable begging faces.

Envy scoffed. "Whatever."

"Is that a yes or a no?" Camile raised a bored brow.

"Yes, whatever, if it will shut you two up," Envy growled. Camile figured he was obviously still not happy about her accidentally frying his foot while trying to control her newly given powers the night before.

"And I'll buy you some ice cream while we're out," Camile said, turning to Wrath. "Ok, Wrath?"

Wrath threw his arms in the air excitedly. "Yay~! Ice cream!"

Envy smacked his head and finished his bowl of cereal.

"I'll buy you ice cream too!" Camile said to Envy. He just glared at the table and didn't respond.

**~()~()~**

"Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!" Wrath and Camile chanted as they walked through the streets. They were full and happy after they had their ice cream and unfortunately for Envy, they were exploiting their happiness on _him_.

"Do you _mind_?" Envy said as he covered one ear.

Wrath ignored his annoyed brother. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"Why didn't you have any ice cream?" Camile asked. Envy did want a parfait but the two were annoying him that his appetite diminished.

"Because."

"Ok."

Envy looked at her. "'Ok'?" Camile shrugged and nodded.

"Usually you beat the questions to death…but you're starting to get to the point? What the hell happened?"

"…I don't know." Camile looked really confused but decided it'd be best not to ask the irritable, androgynous-looking teen more about his statement.

Wrath took Camile's hand as they went down a couple of new sidewalks. She smiled and loved the fact that she sort of had a new brother. She was an only child and having Wrath around made her less lonely.

"…"

"…"

"…So, Envy…"

Envy sighed deeply. There she went again. He was getting tired of this brat quick. Once research was over he was going to dump her in someplace like Drachma.

"What's your favorite color?" Camile blinked.

"Why are you asking me that?" Camile just shrugged in response.

"…Ok well, uh, green I guess." Envy stared at her but quickly looked away and stared straight down the path he was heading.

Camile made a smug smirk. "I knew it~" It was so fitting for him—his name was Envy and his favorite color was green.

"My favorite color's red!" Wrath burst out suddenly.

"My favorite color's purple!" The two laughed and sighed contently. The ice cream was starting to make them a little loopy and giggly and Envy couldn't help but comment.

Envy whipped his head around. "Are you sure that ice cream wasn't spiked or something?"

Camile scoffed. "Sure, whatever." She brushed him off.

Wrath squeezed her hand and looked up at her. "What does 'spiked' mean, sissy?" He had the most _adorable_ pout ever!

"Um, it means someone put something bad in it to make us act weird," Camile said. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure they didn't."

Wrath nodded. After a while they started giggling for no reason again and started to get really fidgety and irritate Envy even more.

"Yep, it's a fact," Envy decided. "They spiked your ice cream."

"Did you learn nothing from our nightly laughing rituals?" Camile chuckled.

"Yes—you two need to shut up when I'm trying to sleep."

"…"

"…Brother! I'm hungry!" Envy looked at Wrath who had a begging face on.

"Me too!" Camile whined while holding her stomach.

"Food! Food! Food!" The two chanted loudly.

Envy raised a hand in annoyance. "I _just _bought you ice cream not five minutes ago!"

Camile and Wrath both shrugged. Envy looked at the two. Of course Wrath was homunculi so he had a homunculi appetite. But then there was Camile who had a skinny build and yet she ate—_so much_. He remembered back to dinner where she nearly was catching up with Gluttony and he was frozen in his seat staring at her for what seemed eternity.

"Why are you such a—a" Camile spurted, frowning deeply. "A jerk?"

"I'm a lot more than a jerk," Envy replied simply.

Camile ran up to meet his face. "But I'm trying my hardest to be nice to you? Why am I so _invisible_?" She felt like she was about to cry in frustration.

He noticed the slight cracking in her voice and sighed. Envy stopped in his place and pinned Camile up to a tree. Both of her hands were above her head as he leaned over her casually.

He looked at her dead serious—not so irritated anymore—and fought a smirk. "You're not invisible. Trust me you're anything _but _invisible."

Wrath watched the two and allowed a sheepish smile overcome his face.

Camile blushed at the fact that he was this close and the position they were in. Not to mention his eyes—they were actually rather pretty to look into when he wasn't glaring or acting like an asshole all the time. No she saw something a little—sad glint from when he looked at her.

"Oh…" Was all Camile could say. She tried to avoid eye contact with him. Envy's hand gently lifted the underside of her chin that forced her to look at him.

Envy's signature smirk returned but this time was a bit more—seductive as Camile decided. He slightly ran his fingers over her cheek, making the pink on her face become fiercer.

He suddenly realized what he was doing. "Let's get something to eat after shopping."

And just like that he let go of her and kept walking as though absolutely nothing happened in the last minute.

Wrath gave her the biggest grin he could muster, but Camile just stared open mouthed as she was frozen in her spot staring at the palm tree.

"Are you coming or not?" Envy growled from a distance. Well that was short-lived.

"He's…" Camile sighed. "Moody?"

"He's different," Wrath giggled. "And seems to like you~"

Camile gave him a look that just screamed 'no' but couldn't help but blush at the words.

"He likes you!" Wrath said, rubbing his sissy's arm. "Trust me."

Camile just shook her head and continued walking. She noticed they were getting farther and farther away from the town they were in a while ago but she didn't think much of it. Maybe it just one of those speciality shops.

Camile and Wrath lost sight of Envy in leading in front of them and started to look all around. They were relieved when they saw Envy.

He was walking toward an officer, with a look to kill Camile decided. She knew this episode—he was trying to kill Hughes. Camile averted her eyes and covered them. Wrath looked at her worriedly and back at Envy.

Just as he was approaching the phone booth a freaky-looking-circus-phantom-like thing rolled off of a nearby rooftop and tackled Envy to the ground. There was a loud struggle and Camile opened her eyes reluctantly to see what was happening.

Envy nearly stabbed the phantom with his arm when Wrath charged and the phantom jumped away. Hughes was knocked unconscious from when the phantom kicked him in the head on the way down.

"Are you okay?" Camile said running to Envy and Wrath. Wrath nodded but Envy was lying on the ground, making a fist and had an evil glare on his face.

"Whoever that was, I'm going to kill them."

"Looks like he was nearly a match for you two," Camile frowned.

Envy stared at her and got up from the ground. He seemed to calm down a bit after he knew she was okay. The phantom was moving so fast that he barely saw what else happened when he got knocked on the ground. All he remembered was the phantom jumping behind his head in what he thought was Camile's direction.

Wrath immediately hugged Camile. "Don't worry, sissy, I won't let that person hurt you." Camile felt warm and fuzzy and grinned.

"Think they'll strike again?" Camile asked.

"Who knows? All I know is that they pissed me off."

Awkward silence ensued.

"So...can we go shopping now?"

* * *

**Oooh~! A phantom! Envy's going to kick some serious booty when he finds this person again! All I have to say is that this 'phantom' is very important later on *SPOILER*! And that's all I will say for now. Until next time, adieu! And don't forget to review! (Hey, that rhymed! *Snicker*)**


	6. The Mysterious Killer

_**Previously: **Winry and Bella make their way to the clinic to the Elrics, Wyatt, and Luki. Armstrong and Hughes are obviously not happy that Ed is continuing his quest for the Philosopher's Stone and want to go with him. Ed convinces him that he's old enough to go on his own and he's getting help from his old alchemy teacher in Dublith. Wyatt and Luki convince Ed and Al to go with them to perhaps learn alchemy and help the brothers in their quest. Winry says she was going with them and they were stopping at Rush Valley. Bella speaks up and says she'll go with Winry so that she isn't alone while the boys go to Dublith. Back at the homunculi mansion, Wrath and Camile make Envy take her shopping and buy them ice cream. On their way to the 'shop' Envy is just about to kill Hughes but is interrupted when a sort of phantom hops off of the roof and tackles Envy to the ground. They're a good match until Wrath comes charging and the phantom runs away, leaving a pissed Envy and an unconscious Hughes on the ground._

**A/N: I just now realized something…*facepalm* in last chapter Camile says she'll buy Wrath and Envy ice cream when he's the one that actually buys it. Ugh… :S so let's just say Camile had a blond moment and forgot that she doesn't have money and Envy mans up and buys it for them. And by 'buy' it means making the ice cream people so scared they pee sort of buy. Look, I was rushing when writing that so sorry…**

**BUT ANYWAY! I must warn you up front that next chapter will be long and I apologize up front if your brain explodes and eyes conbust! All I will say is that it's a serious kick-ass chapter. Nuff said. THANKS FOR REVIEWS YOU GUYS~~! **

**WARNING: Rated T for some slight graphicness plus language (which isn't really new I just feel some characters are OOC without it). Just a warning…**

* * *

**~()~()~ **

Envy, Wrath, and Camile were on their way to through town where the clothing shop was located. The threesome was very much on edge after their encounter, especially Envy who was practically dripping with fury after he met someone who nearly overpowered him. That pissed him off to no end.

"Hey! Why is it closed?" Camile frowned pointing to the very clear "CLOSED" sign on the door of the shop. It was written in bright red; drabbled sloppily along a strip of cardboard and held up with planks and nails just as sloppy. It looked as though someone was sure in a hurry…

Envy snapped his head into the direction of her finger. "That's odd."

"Odd indeed," Camile agreed. "Huh."

"Where is everyone anyway?" Camile asked. Envy turned to face every direction. The grocery store: CLOSED. The drugstore: CLOSED. Even the Waldo-inspired barbor shop: CLOSED!

Camile frowned. "I want freaking new clothes…"

"Maybe we could break in." Envy walked closer to the clothing store and tried to pry off the boards.

"HEY YOU-!" A man's voice interrupted Envy from tearing off the chunks off wood from the door and windows. The threesome turned around to see a rather non-threatening man who was thin and appeared to be more distressed than angry. He looked like he had survived a fire.

"Oh, sorry ladies," The man said. Wrath and Envy looked quite bloodthirsty at that comment.

"Heh heh," Camile chuckled nervously, approaching the man. "Look…they aren't girls." She sweatdropped._'Too bad Envy didn't have time to turn into someone else…'_

The man looked at the two boys, and they looked ready to kill, mind you, with surprise. "Oh! My apologies."

"Yeah, yeah. Just what's going on here?" Envy asked, crossing his arms.

The man sighed. "We're leaving. There's—something really bad going on here."

"Like what?" They all said in unison. The same words were on all three of their minds and they had blurted it out at the same moment. They stared at each other briefly before turning their attention to the man.

"Did you see a phantom on your way here?" The man said with sudden enthusiasm. A sudden flicker of fear appeared in his glazed eyes.

The three stared at each other once more.

"Yes, in fact he or she or whatever _it_ was nearly killed us!" It was Wrath who spoke this time.

"Well," The man rubbed his balding head. "They've been terrorizing me and the rest of the townpeople for a few days now and we're burning things, hiding, doing whatever we can so they don't return. Hopefully, they'll leave us alone once they see we're 'gone'."

Envy honestly didn't care for pathetic human fear. All he cared was getting a good fight with someone his match—something he hadn't had in a long time. "What'd they do, exactly?" Envy said boredly.

The man suddenly started shaking furiously and stood there shaking his head profusely, inching away into the street.

Envy growled. "Just tell—"

Camile pushed him back. "Envy." She turned back to the man. "Well, there's a man out by the phonebooth just over there. His head got bashed in after the phantom came by us."

The man stopped shaking a little. "W-Well, y-you know…there's a hospital down the road. I-I'll get someone."

Envy gave Camile a weird look. He was wondering why they should help Hughes and not just leave him there. Besides, the injury didn't look _too _serious to him and figured he should wake up momentarily.

"Do you mind if we walk through your town?" Camile asked, changing the subject. It was obviously a little stupid to ask this guy permission to walk through _his_ town but he was shaken so badly and didn't look very trusting of her or Envy, or even Wrath at the moment.

The man nodded before a boom interrupted him from speaking.

"O-oh no!" The man cried, covering his ears and beginning to sob violently. "T-the b-b-b-bombs! THEY PLANTED ANOTHER ONE!"

The threesome stared at each other. Camile walked up to man and put her hands on his shoulders trying to comfort him. He flinched but let her.

"We will check it out," Camile said firmly, staring straight into his eyes as proof of her seriousness. The man nodded and walked away, explaining he needed to go back to his family.

The group's attention was caught at the rising, dusty smoke coming from a building across the street. There were very few screams, strangely.

"Terrorist?"

Envy shrugged. The group made their way past an old building and onto the new street where fresh destruction greeted them in an air that slammed into their chests with a pang.

"This is…horrible," Camile breathed, frowing deeply. The _need_ to cry was plenty; the _urge_ to cry was near none.

"Not used to this kind of destruction?" Envy smirked.

Camile gave him a pretty scary looking glare. Even he was a little freaked out. "You don't know what I'm used to!" she said lowly and darkly. This was not a time for her to be reminded of _things_.

Envy threw his hands out in defense, expecting her to _do _something, but she already was focusing her new attention on the destroyed buildings in front of them.

"This _is_ rather scary," Wrath admitted, staring up at a chunk missing from what looked like an apartment complex. Envy just stared around him, slightly amused at all the destruction—and he didn't even cause it!

Envy huffed. "This 'phantom' is a clever bast—"

"OH MY GOD!" Camile shrieked. There was a group of people huddled near a small body—or what _used_ to be a body. It was practically remnants of what used to be a little girl. The girl was nothing but a pool of blood, dripping from every pore in her skin. Her limbs were severely lacerated and nearly hanging off from the white bones shining in the blazing sun. The smell—well you can only envision what that smelled like. And it was _everywhere_.

"Wha…?" Camile breathed shakily. She felt like vomiting up every single meal she'd ever eaten in her life. Blood…_So. Much. Blood. _So many bodies, some lacerated some nothing but a mass pile of flesh.

Everyone was running around in mass hysteria. Fires were blazing, smoke was poisoning people's lungs, and booms could be heard in the distance.

"We need to get out of here," Wrath said, yanking on Envy's skort slightly. Envy blinked down at the young and frantic homunculus.

"Too much to handle?" Envy said boredly. Camile glared.

"He's just a kid! I don't care if he's immortal…he doesn't need to be exposed to this regardless!" Camile shouted, flailing her arms at the teenage homunculus who seemed to be stoic.

A fresh body dropped next to them out of a window. The young man didn't look older than fifteen years old, and he already looked dead. His burning flesh gave off a sickeningly rancid aroma. The look on his face would haunt Camile for a long time-he resembled Wyatt.

"Envy!" Camile screamed. She was frozen now, her first instinct was to cling onto the stoic homunculus, but she couldn't find any movement in her feet.

..."Well, this is interesting."

The three flung their heads around to see none other than the cocky homunculus Greed. This time, he didn't look threatening. In fact, he looked rather shocked.

"Greed!" Envy hissed. Last time he saw that bleep of a pervert he _had_ to bring up the one thing Envy hated more than humans—his past.

Just as Envy lunged at him, Greed hopped out of the way, dodging jabs and punches and kicks here and there. "Hey! Look…I'm not in the mood to fight you!"

Envy didn't stop his attempts to injure Greed. "Oh yeah? That's a first."

Greed had no choice but to turn into his shield. "You give me no choice, Envy." Envy was too slow and his dagger hit nothing but the impenetrable shield of Greed.

Breathing vehemently, Envy stopped and glared at Greed. Greed only stood there, no weapons, no violence. Just stood there, turning back into his old form.

"What are you doing here?" His eyes shifted to Camile, who only stood there silently. She suddenly felt nervous and flinched a little, trying not to let her thoughts get the better of her.

Envy gave him the nastiest look known to Envy and got in a protective stance between him and Camile.

"Who's she?"

"A vampire," Envy hissed. "And she's of no interest to you."

Greed raised a brow. "A vampire, you say?" He smirked. "Do you bite?"

"I said she is of no interest to you! It's bad enough she can't tell us a damn because of amnesia!" Envy raised his dagger in defense, although it wouldn't be of any use if Greed turned into his shield again.

Greed sighed, ignoring Envy's fuming presence completely. "I'm guessing Dante is using you for research." Camile nodded.

"Well," Greed said, smirking. "If she gives you trouble, you can always come to me, sweetheart."

Envy lashed out at Greed only to have his hand grabbed tightly by Greed and thrown back. "Don't fool around, kid. She ain't yours…yet."

Camile fought the blush creeping up her cheekbones. _'Camile, this isn't right. You don't like him…but then again having Envy AND Greed fighting over you? Quite the show.'_

"What exactly can you do?" Greed asked, not dropping the smirk that seemed stitched to his face.

Camile gulped. "I can, uh, freeze practically anything. It's very painful for a person, too." She showed him by freezing the ground at her feet in front of him. It amused Greed as much as it amused her—to think _Dante_ gave her powers like _that_. Something didn't seem right…

Greed clapped his hands. "Very impressive. This will come in handy in dealing with the phantom."

Envy glared. "She is not dealing with any phantom!"

"Why is he defending me?" Camile accidentally thought out loud. Luckily for her, both men didn't even notice. The staring contest between them drowned out any other existing things outside of them.

Greed shrugged, suddenly looking saddened. "Well, they took something from me. My _possessions_. They. Took. My. Minions." His sharky teeth barred and he looked ready to punch right through anyone at anytime.

Envy crossed his arms, irritated. "Oh boo hoo. So why do we come into the picture?"

"I hope you know that they may as well take your possessions just as mine—you're not the only one dealing with this asshole, boy," Greed said, looking rather dangerous. He was unarmed and alone, yet Camile figured he could take on a whole army with his shield.

Envy scoffed. "Then let's all go on a scavenger hunt for a dangerous psychopath!" he exclaimed sarcastically.

Wrath cleared his throat. "He also kicked Envy's ass back there…"

Envy made a fist. "SHUT UP."

Greed made an amused grin. "Ah, did he now? Not Mr. Big Bad Wolf anymore are you, palm tree?"

Envy turned his attention to Greed. "SHUT UP, PERVERT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW (A/N: censored) PUZZLED I AM ABOUT THIS!"

"Then how about we hunt down this annoying little brat together?" Greed asked.

"Ok," Envy rolled his eyes. "And you suddenly think I'm just going to let you come with us, willy-nilly?" Greed nodded smirking like the cocky man he was.

"Whatever," Envy growled. "I hope you know that this has nothing to do with you. I'm only doing this because your precious chimeras are dead and you have nowhere to go."

Greed smirked. "Good."

"Looks like Mr. Badass isn't so big anymore?" Envy smirked, looking back at Greed. Greed's smirk dropped and Envy chuckled.

* * *

**~()~()~Dublith~()~()~**

"I'm worried about Winry and Bella," Ed said, looking out the window as it drizzled steadily outside. One drop of water engulfed the other, and another.

"We should go get them brother," Al said, entering the room.

"Who?" Izumi asked, frowning.

Ed turned away from the window. "My friend Winry Rockbell and Bella Regan. They wanted to go to Rush Valley, well Winry did and Bella said she'd go with them. Of course, we would go and pick them up after our visit with you—but this whole 'phantom' thing has me quite freaked out."

"More than the homunculi?" Izumi asked, sitting down on the bed next to Al. Ed nodded and blinked at her.

"Well," Izumi sighed. "I have trained your two friends well. I am more than positive they will improve in their journey of alchemy as long as they don't—become dogs of the military."

"Still surprised they gained your trust so quickly…" Ed muttered.

Al blinked. "They don't seem like those kind of boys to do that, teacher."

Izumi smiled faintly. "I sense that. And I know they will aid you well in your journey with the Philosopher's Stone."

Izumi got up from the bed and stared at the two boys. "Besides, you are no longer my pupils. You are now my equals."

Ed nodded grimly. "Thank you for everything, Izumi."

Izumi gathered both boys in her arms and grinned widely. "Aww, my pleasure."

"I'm sure Wyatt and Luki are very grateful too," Al chuckled. "Even if they don't seem like it."

"Oh, Luki was thanking me left and right. Annoying, rather, but he is a nice boy."

"Where are they, by the way?" Ed said, making a weird face.

"Sleeping, I had my husband give them some food and they are fast asleep in the living room," Izumi said. "Edward, is the phantom really bothering you?"

"Well I know _you_ probably wouldn't have a problem with the phantom," Ed started. "But I'm just worried…they're two girls alone in a pick-pocketing town. I shouldn't have let them go by themselves."

Izumi nodded. "Then why don't we go get them?"

Al and Ed stared at their teacher—no their equal with shock. "Y-you'd come with?"

Izumi smiled. "Sure. Besides, someone has to be around to keep your alchemy in check! Especially your friends."

The boys tackled her in a tight hug, surprising Izumi. She stood there for a moment before returning the warm embrace. They all pulled away smiling.

"Now that there's a phantom," Ed sighed. "I have two things to worry about!" He groaned and threw his head back.

"Brother, let's choose what to deal with first," Al suggested. He did have a point.

"He's right. If we go to Rush Valley we could well run into the mysterious killer. According to rumors, the homunculi seem weak compared to it."

Ed blinked and looked down at his feet. "Then let's track down the mysterious killer."

"TMK," Al said.

"'TMK'?"

Al nodded. "Yes. The mysterious killer is a little long. And besides, we wouldn't be suspicious if we abbreviated his name."

"TMK it is," Izumi said. "Now let's go get Winry and Bella."

* * *

**~()~()~ Rush Valley ~()~()~**

"Are you okay?" Ed asked frantically.

Winry whirled around with a wrench handy. Ed's face twisted in fear as she hurled the wrench at him.

"AGH!"

Al rushed to his brother's side. "Brother! Uh…UM! Are you okay?"

"EDWARD! HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY PRECIOUS TRIP TO HEAVEN ON EARTH!" Winry screeched while raising an extra wrench above her head.

Bella gently grabbed her hand nervously. "Now, Winry let's not, um, kill him." Winry shot her a glare before finally softening and lowering her arm.

"GAH!" Ed said, sitting up and rubbing his now bleeding head. "GEEZ! I'm TRYING TO RESCUE YOU FROM A KILLER AND _THAT'S_ HOW YOU REWARD ME?!"

Winry scoffed. "I'm perfectly fine here you over-protective alchemy freak!"

"Gearhead!" Ed shouted.

Bella stared at them, drinking a pint of milk. Edward shifted his eyes at the evil white liquid she had in her hand and made a retching sound, as it was almost gone.

"_How_ can you drink that?" Ed shrieked at Bella. Bella just shrugged and smirked.

Luki, Izumi and Wyatt joined down the street to see three people arguing and poor Al just watching it all.

"What?" Wyatt asked, nearing the group.

"Izumi, this is Winry," Ed gritted. "She's my automail mechanic and friend. Winry, this was my old alchemy teacher."

Izumi reached out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Wow, Edward, she's not half as bad as you said she was!" Winry exclaimed. Izumi shot the boys an evil look as they sat on the ground laughing nervously and denying any foul words of their old teacher.

"Anyway," Wyatt rolled his eyes. "We should get out of here. Since talk of the phantom guy, this place has flooded with tourists." Wyatt shrugged. "Who knows if he/she is somewhere in the crowds?"

"He has a very good point," Izumi said seriously. She began to walk in the direction of the train station.

"OH no! Oh no!" A swarm of people came flooding down the suddenly barren street.

"He's gone MAD! HELP ANYONE! ALCHEMISTS? SOMEONE!"

The group felt their hearts lurch, as they only feared the worst. Was he here?

"What? What's going on? Who's mad?" Izumi stopped someone by their shoulders as they ran down the street.

"Uh!" They said. "Fuhrer Bradley! He's absolutely mad! Betrayel of the military! Trust no one!" And the ran.

The group stared at each other strangely.

"Fuhrer Bradley?" Bella asked.

"Head of the military in Amestris," Ed explained. "I never trusted that (censored)."

"We need to go," Izumi said firmly after she was done asking a nearby townie something.

Ed looked at the black-haired woman as though she'd grown five heads. "Are you INSANE?"

Izumi shot him a look. "Look, Colonel Mustang and his group are being crushed by Fuhrer Bradley. Almost nothing can stop him."

"_MUSTANG_?" Ed squealed. "That idiot can control _FIRE_ and he can't even hold his ground with King Bradley?"

Luki spoke up timidly. "We should help…"

Ed looked up at the very tall boy. "AND WHO ARE YOU TO SAY WE AREN'T GOING TO GET CRUSHED?"

Wyatt approached him. "I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LET AMESTRIS BE DESTROYED! OKAY, SHORTIE?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD LIVE IN A DOLLHOUSE!" Ed exploded. "IF ANYTHING _YOU_ ARE SHORT!"

"YEAH BUT I'M TALLER THAN YOU!"

"I'M NOT DONE GROWING! YOU'RE A YEAR OLDER THAN ME!"

Winry lifted her wrench and went over to Ed. "Don't make me use this on you again if you're going to fight!"

Al suddenly looked all around. "Teac—um, Izumi? Hello!"

Izumi was halfway down the road nearing the train station. "Idiots…" she mumbled to herself.

"Hey wait up!" Ed called, scrambling to his feet as Winry, Bella, Wyatt, Luki, and Alphonse followed.

Just as they were about to get on the train, Ed stopped Winry.

"I need you to go home, Winry," Ed said firmly, staring into her blue eyes.

Winry frowned. "Ed…just…be careful, all right?"

Ed hesitated a moment and then leaned in to plant the softest kiss on her lips. It was like a delicate flower and both of their faces matched a rose.

Winry stared at him wide-eyed as he bought her ticket to go back to Resembool.

"Call me and tell me you're safe," he said, before getting on to the train to South Headquarters.

Winry nodded and surprised him with a long-lasting hug, initiating the same feeling she had for him. He didn't want to let go, honestly, but had to pull away when Izumi nearly snapped his neck when she tugged on his braid to get on the train.

"Call me when you are safe, too, Ed." They both waved goodbye. Ed, his brother, and Izumi were taking their newbound friends on what was probably the most dangerous journeys of all time. But something inside of him comforted him and he knew it was going to be well worth it.

* * *

**Me: YAY~! Greed showed up! I felt like I was neglecting one of my favorite homunculi, so he will be showing up more often. :)**

**Greed: YEAH MAN!**

**Me: YEAH!**

**Envy: Ok enough of the annoying.**

**Me: Envy, you just don't get it to you?**

**Envy: Get what?**

**Me & Greed: *smacks head***

**Envy: No, seriously.**

**Wrath: I want food.**

**Camile: I want shopping.**

**Me: DID YOU NOT LEARN ANYTHING FROM THE TOWN YOU WERE JUST IN! THEY. ARE. CLOSED. For like, good. Whoosh.**

**Wrath: *shrugs***

**Greed: BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY!**

**Me: Ok then O.o**

**Greed: Envy is a little schoolgirl!**

**Envy: $^ #$^%&!**

**Greed: Heh heh**

**Me: This is weird…I'm leaving before this gets weird.**

**Wrath: NO STAY! *Grabs arm***

**Me: Ok well if you insist, Wrath. :3**

**Greed: *baby voice* Is Envy afraid of a little phantom going around being better than you? Aww…so sad. Hehe**

**Envy: ! NO I'M NOT! *Huffs into room and slams door so hard room shakes and breaks***

**Me: TEMPER, YOUNG MAN!**

**Me: Anyway, special thanks to Ishmael who is in fact my friend, the awesome person who created Bella! I told her to get an account but she's all like 'nooo my work is crap boo hoo'. Sad right? So sad. SO LET'S TELL HER TO GET AN EFFING ACCOUNT! I'M GOING SWIMMING AT HER HOUSE TOMORROW FOR ENVY'S SAKE!**

**Me: Review people! Let's pretend TMK came into your room and—nevermind, or let's say Greed-! No, worse. D: Uhmm…so just leave a review like a nice little boy/girl/it! Toodle-ooo~!**


	7. The Takeover

**A/N: **Okay so no more recaps. Seriously if you want a previously just read the freaking last chapter. Ha. But anyway, yes! This is a loooong chapter. The longest by far surpassing chapter 4 which is 4,400 words. This is 6,600+ words so...YEAH IT'S LONG! Sorry, but it is a fight chapter and I hope I don't fail too epically at writing it. :S

After this chapter updates will be less frequent due to good ol' school. -_- whoopie.

Me: And now let me introduce some changes I have made:

**1) Sloth is already dead and Wrath never thought of her as a mother figure _after_ she clearly abandoned him during the fight. And the Elric brothers did not kill her. Dante did. So Wrath REALLY hates Dante AND Sloth.**

**2) Pride is King Bradley and he kind of went clinically insane. Well, obviously most homunculi are psychopaths but something made him snap in this chapter.**

**3) Father is the superior. Dante is just sort of a co-superior. So they are both included in this story.**

**4) Some BIG, BIG, BIG-MAC SIZED OMG-NESS WILL BE SAID IN THIS CHAPTER! Enemies and friends pairing up BIG! :O shocking!**

**5) Also, there's some Izumi and Wrath cuteness :3 Along with Royai**

**6) There are going to be 23 chapters of this story. Sorry, but I must wing it out and torture you! Also, this is by far the longest author's note I've ever done.**

**7) Also, we find out what sort of cool alchemy powers Wyatt and Luki have developed!**

**8) Al gets his body back rather quickly! :)**

**9) I'm including dates and times now! OOH**

Me: Thank you to **FMAsushi96!** OMG I FREAKING LOVE YOU! :D Thanks to guest reviews as well!

…Also, the whole pull-ups thing was a hilarious thing I thought up. Haha. The housewife thing I _had_ to put in which does _**NOT **_belong to me!

**::I DO NOT OWN FMA::**

Chapter 7: The Takeover

* * *

**~()~()~South HQ, September 7, 1916~()~()~**

"This is ridiculous!" Roy exclaimed, hiding behind what used to be his temporary office. Riza stopped peering behind a wall and glared at him.

"Roy…"

Roy flung his head around only to have it flung right back with the loudest smack known to man. His cheek stung worse than the time he got it stuck in a beehive once when he was younger.

"Riza! What the hell was that for?" He exclaimed, rubbing his cheek and wincing.

She grabbed his shoulders and glared at him violently. "Man up, Roy! Take off your pull-ups and put on some briefs! There's an incredible fight out there and you need to stop whining and do your part!" Her eyes were wide and hair was strewn over her face.

Roy stared at her wide-eyed and then sighed, gently taking her shaking hands off of his shoulders. "You're right. We need back-up."

"Already here, Colonel."

Roy and Riza whipped their heads around to see none other than the Fullmetal Alchemist with friends. They were an odd pair—young but seemed rather fierce.

"Fullmetal," Roy said, amused at what a group he had brought to his office. They were a raggedy-looking bunch and he doubted they'd get much farther than he did. "So you brought some of your middle school friends to watch the fun?"

Ed glared. "They're my age! Look, Colonel, we—"

A loud explosion of bricks and stone interrupted Ed. Roy and Riza decided to step farther away from the chunk of wall they were standing.

"We can do it," Ed said adamantly. "The majority of us are alchemists and we can help you out, Colonel."

"Oh and what exactly can they do?" Roy sneered and pointed towards the fear-stricken young teenagers standing behind Ed.

"I can control wind," Wyatt sneered right back. As to prove it, he rushed his hands together and a gust of wind overcame the office as papers flew off the floor and bookshelves in one massive swirl of air. He lowered his hands and the swirl stopped.

"Hmm, nice." Although Roy didn't seem too enthusiastic. His attention turned to a timid Luki standing near Bella and Al. "What about you?"

"I can control electricity," Luki said, staring at his feet. Suddenly, a huge jolt of eletric currents flooded the floor by his feet and he seemed to control the movement with his eyes, moving the jolts up and down left and right and finally frying an old lamp. Sparks flew near Roy but he didn't flinch.

"Now that is impressive as well," The handsome colonel admitted. "What about her?"

Bella gulped. "I can't really do any alchemy, sir." She tried to avoid contact with the dreamy colonel and stared at the ground, blushing like mad.

Roy smacked his head and gave a nasty look at Ed. "So you just bring a helpless girl here to watch the show or something?" Bella sweatdropped.

"LOOK, COLONEL!" Ed said getting angry and defensive. "WE CAN MANAGE KEEPING HER SAFE, ALL RIGHT!"

"Not many of us are safe here," Riza said blandly.

"I can see that," Wyatt huffed. "If we're going to do something then let's do it now!"

"Hold on, cocky! Just because you are here now doesn't mean you can take on an army with four of you," Roy said, finding his white gloves and slipping them on his scraped hands. He had a purple bruise forming above his eye, which made him look angrier.

Ed scoffed. "We can when we have Izumi."

Izumi crossed her arms and glared at the colonel. "And who is she?" he asked.

"Their old alchemy teacher," Izumi replied lowly. "And if you doubt what my pupils can do than I highly recommend you think that over."

Roy smirked. "Then be my most honored guests getting yourselves hurt."

Bella smacked her head and sighed shakily. _'This is going to be bad…'_

* * *

**~()~()~**

"Are you sure there's a fight going on here?" Envy asked.

_BOOM!_ Stonewalls were soon nothing but crumbled chunks and ash.

Greed smirked. "Uh, yeah! I'm sure." Envy glared and followed the group carefully around to the edge of the building.

"WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME, ROY?! JUST LET ME DO IT!"

"Oh? And being that short? I don't think so, Fullmetal."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MICROSCOPE YOU JERK!"

Envy smacked his head and sighed. "Pipsqueak?"

"Edward Elric?" Camile asked.

"Yeah," Envy said. "How did you know who he was?"

Camile shrugged and thought of something. "He is rather popular."

"Well let's go see that brat," Greed said and walked right into the office where the voices of Colonel Mustang and the Fullmetal Pipsqueak could be heard.

Envy and Camile blinked at each other. "He's bold," Camile stated bluntly.

"He's Greed. He does what he wants." Camile stared at Envy and nodded.

Wrath got in a protective stance in front of his big sister and was ready to attack.

"You're kidding me!" Ed sighed once he saw the three homunculi staring at them as they entered the room. "Greeling, palm tree, devil-child, and some random girl."

Greeling—er Greed made a smirk. "Nice to see you again, kid."

"I'm going to kill you!"

"We're actually here to help, pipsqueak," Envy chuckled lightly.

Edward thrashed out in all directions. "WHO YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK YOU JERK!"

Envy smirked, put a finger in his ear and whistled. "Wow. Still a loud-mouth."

Bella and Camile ran to each other in a hug.

"I-I was looking for you!" Bella cried. Camile nodded.

"So… happy you found me?"

"YES!" Bella said. "Of course! Stupid squirrel."

Camile groaned in agreement. "I HATE squirrels!"

Izumi leaned over to Al and whispered. "Friends?" Al tilted his head. "I guess so."

"You!" Camile pointed a finger at Wyatt and glared. He merely stared at her and rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you too," he said sarcastically.

Camile then noticed Luki standing awkwardly in a corner and made a winking face at Bella only to have her make a warning face. Ed, who didn't like that this girl was hanging out with his least favorite homunculi, interrupted their facial communications.

"Who are you?" Ed blurted out rudely and pointed a finger to Camile. He got ready to fight. "A—homunculus?"

Camile blinked her hazel eyes. "No. Vampire." As though her answer explained it all. He didn't really mind that much if she were a vampire. At least she wasn't a homunculus.

Envy groaned quietly. "What does it matter, pipsqueak? We're here to help you."

"Don't start that again!" Ed shouted. "Last time I saw you, you nearly killed me back in the laboratory!"

Envy smirked slightly. "Good memory. Now whether you like it or not you can't take Pride on alone. I know the whole 'phantom' has got you freaked out just like everyone else. But first things first. Got it?"

"Pride?" They all said in unison, staring at Envy. He sighed and nodded. "King Bradley—he's a homunculus named Pride. He's rather power-crazy, hence the name. He finally lost it this time." The thought amused Envy and his sadistic hunger returned.

Ed narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you won't kill me once we're done?"

"Nice point," Envy smirked, closing his eyes and resting one leg as he leaned back on the wall. "I may…but I may not. Depends if Pride claims you as his first."

Another boom outside.

"Sounds like he's getting angry," Envy mused casually, still remaining the position on the wall. "Kimblee here?"

"Kimblee?"

Envy opened his eyes and didn't drop the malicious smirk on his lips. "He is a rather boom-happy sociopath."

Ed sighed deeply. "I never, _ever_, thought I'd say this but, Envy, Greeling, Wrath, and whatever your name is—"

"Camile!" Camile huffed and looked the other way.

"Yeah, Camile. Let's do this!"

"May be hard to do," Greed said. "That jerk has an ultimate 'seeing eye'. So we will have to distract him and perhaps ambush him while he's distracted."

"Leave it to me," Riza said and loaded her guns. Roy stared blankly at her.

"Riza…" Roy said, inhaling dusty air. "Let a homunculus do it."

"Colonel…"

Roy shushed her. "Now isn't the time for formalities." He then turned his head in the direction of Greed. "You. Distract Bradley while we take out his little army."

"Man, this'll be fun." Greed's face split into the nostalgic sharky smirk. He cracked his knuckles and got ready for the time of his life that is, until some chick came up and glared daggers at him.

"I'll go with," Izumi said. Greed was digging this woman already. She was a babe.

"Who are you?" Greed said, strangely seductive. Boy did that make Envy gag, and he was right next to him.

Izumi rolled her eyes, got inches from his nose, and jabbed her thumb at her chest haughtily. "I'm a housewife!" _'Aw, married? Darn…'_ Greed thought.

"I'm coming too," Wrath said. He had a far-off bloodthirsty look in his violet eyes. "I want to see Pride die a painful and slow death."

Izumi stared at the boy and tried not to let her emotions get the best of her. Wrath eventually caught on and stared up at her, innocently now.

"…" Izumi quickly turned her attention to the door and began walking out with Greed. A tiny and strong hand gripped her wrist and she spun her head around.

"…M-Mom?" His voice rang through Izumi's ears, making the tears finally flow down. She didn't hesitate to engulf him in a hug, even if he was a homunculus she didn't care.

Wrath was taken aback at first but made no intentions of furthering his violence; this was his mom—his true mom. Sloth was dead and this was the woman who tried everything to get her son back.

"Wrath…" Izumi breathed, letting fresh droplets of bittersweet tears fall onto the boys shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her at long last and didn't feel like letting go.

Wrath thought a moment and finally came to a conclusion. "I-I can't be with you, Mommy. I…I'm sorry." He pulled away from Izumi and gave her a sincere look. She nodded and wiped away the tears. This was no time for crying; this was a time to be strong.

"Let's do this," Wrath said, holding onto her hand, much to her surprise. "Together."

Izumi smiled and nodded, waiting to see if anyone else was going to join the distraction of Pride.

"Well, we can't just let only three of them go alone," Roy, said thoughtfully. A few seconds of silence passed by before he finally thought of something.

"Okay here's the plan. Envy, and Camile? Is that your name?" Camile nodded and smiled. "Both of you go with the three of them."

"Don't worry, princess, stick with me and you'll be just fine," Envy smirked at Camile, still glued to the wall in his bad-boy position. Camile rolled her eyes and sighed at the infamous nickname.

"I thought we had this conversation?" But the statement met dead ears as Envy already stopped giving her his attention.

'Leave it to him. Attention span of a fly. Attention span OF. A. FLY' Camile crossed her arms and tried to be brave of whatever would happen next. Of course Envy was an incredible fighter, arrogant, yet clever, he would make sure she was safe. Well that's what Camile hoped anyway. He had a tendency for looking out only for himself…

"Riza and I will deal with his soldiers," Roy said. He looked at the remaining carefully. "All of you can get in on the real action once the five are done distracting Bradley. Why don't you take the girl somewhere safe? And keep her out of trouble if they give you any." He looked at Luki.

Luki nodded. "Will do." He grabbed Bella by the wrist and they both blushed as they left to find somewhere safe in silence.

Ed, Al, and Wyatt remained.

"General Armstrong will be assisting us as well," Roy said. "He should be here—"

The door bust down suddenly, making everyone jump. "I AM HERE NOW, COLONEL! I WILL ASSIST YOU! BATTLES LIKE THESE HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN IN THE ARMSTRONG FAMILY LINE FOR GENERATIONS!" Sparkles flew. Lots of sparkles.

Camile stifled a chuckle. "I love this guy."

"And here he is now," Roy said trying to get over the broken door in his office that was half-destroyed anyway. "Let's get this over with. Are you ready everybody?"

"Hold on there." Envy held out a hand as though what he was about to say would answer everything. "Pride has an _ultimate eye_, he's going to know our advance."

"Then we need to make it as discreet as possible," Roy blinked. "What else would you think we were going to do, homunculus? Run around with a flare gun?"

Envy rolled his eyes and grumbled. "_Stupid humans…can't believe I'm helping you_."

Another boom and some rather bloodcurdling screams to accompany it.

"We shouldn't stand here forever," Riza said bluntly. She got her guns ready and stood by Roy's side.

"You're right. Everyone know the plan?" Roy went over it one more time just to make sure.

"All right! Let's go! Armstrong you're with Ed, Al, and Wyatt."

"WILL DO, COLONEL!"

* * *

**~()~()~**

Tiptoeing through some corriders proved to be trickier than thought. Riza was losing vigilance by a point. It just seemed too empty to be true. Roy was ready to incinerate with a snap and there wasn't anyone around to do it to.

"I think they know we're here," Riza said.

"Of course they do," Roy said. He narrowed his eyes and searched down the long hallway.

He could hear shouts coming close to the edge of a corrider and he was right—they knew all too well Roy and Riza were there. She began firing merciless shots at them as Roy snapped his fingers and fires were sent to roast the opposing military soldiers.

"I hate to do this," Riza said, her voice sounding distant. Roy had never heard her admit to anything like that. She usually just killed as she was told. Now he could hear guilt.

"They were a threat to the military," Roy said almost soothingly. "If Bradley—Pride—is a homunculus then they are on the enemy's side."

Riza stared at him with her blank brown eyes. She nodded grimly and walked with him down the burning corridor in silence. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if when he looked at her he actually cared. He was a good-looking man and she'd figure she wasn't anything compared to the women he dated. Besides, she _worked_ for him, it wouldn't look right.

"Roy?" Riza started. She hadn't meant for it to slip out but it did.

"Yes?"

She hesitated a moment. "Nevermind."

Roy gave her a strange look. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Ok." He didn't know why she started acting so strange.

* * *

**~()~()~**

"Oh, nice to see you again Greed," Pride said rather calmly. He was walking back in forth in front of Greed in a threatening manor. "Good to see you brought friends to this event." Greed pondered that moment. Damn, he knew they were there. Damn eye.

"Cut the chit-chat," Greed spat. "I've had enough of you, _Pride_."

Pride chuckled as Greed's anger amused him. "And you really think you can stop me now?"

"Of course I can," Greed growled. Izumi looked around and found there were guards being silently taken from behind and most likely killed.

Izumi smiled. _'Good work, Wrath.'_

"Now, now," Pride scolded. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He looked around and inhaled as though he were in a beautiful field of fresh smelling flowers. "I can do what I want now. I killed my wife and son and should do the same to you." He had an evil glint in his good eye.

Greed got furious. "You _killed_ your _wife_ and _son_?" He knew Pride was always capable of doing anything do get power; even kill friends, but family? He crossed the line.

"They were—a nuisance, really," Pride said as though it were a normal thing. He stopped pacing and gave off a sadistic look. "Nice to see that you'll go down the same way."

That was enough for him. Greed immediately turned into his shield and had a clear advantage on Pride.

Pride only chuckled and got his swords handy. He then began thrashing viciously trying to pierce through his blood seal. With a swing of his arm, Greed sent Pride sending into the ground a few yards away. Pride merely wiped blood from a scrape on his arm and got up, smirking.

"Point for Greed," Greed said. He then charged at Pride again only to have one of Pride's swords break into his side.

Izumi could only stand there and observe her surroundings. That is, when she heard a boom near a wall in the courtyard and sighed when she saw Kimblee standing there in all of his psychopathic glory.

"Ooh a woman," Kimble mused. "Fun. Fun." _Boom!_

Izumi dodged it just in time and got her alchemy ready, sending sparks hurdling toward Kimblee. It missed by a hair and this made Kimblee very angry.

"How dare you!" Kimblee growled and got ready to send another boom. Izumi whistled loudly and the Elric brothers appeared along with Wyatt.

Al used his alchemy to create a wall in front of Izumi, ricocheting Kimblee's blast back on him. Kimblee did a somersault and nearly kicked Ed right in the face.

"I really don't like you already," Ed growled as he dodged vicious punches on vital organs.

Kimblee sneered. "And what? You think I like you?"

Envy and Camile were on their way across the courtyard panting as they neared the fight scene.

"I'll help Greed. You get Kimblee."

Camile groaned loudly. "Why do _I_ get the boom-happy psycho?!" she whined and pouted.

Envy ignored her and sauntered off to Pride and Greed. Wrath was still busy taking care of the guards on the rooftops by—ahem _carefully_ breaking their necks and other colorful ways of murder.

Camile looked at Kimblee and decided to freeze his hands. Bad, bad mistake. He shot her the nastiest glare, held off Al AND Izumi and tried to explode her to pieces!

Camile had to control her breathing and use her powers and newbound skills to observe a measure of attack. And just _where_ the hell was Armstrong?

A huge wall of water washed through a courtyard wall and swept through the middle of the courtyard. Armstrong stood proudly beside it with Roy carrying an injured Riza to safety. Roy gave him some sort of gesture and Armstrong left down a broken corridor unnoticed.

"What?! Don't leave me!" Camile groaned and jumped out of the way of another shocking boom. Ed got Kimblee's hair from behind and yanked his head back, sending him on his knees. Camile froze his hands away from each other, preventing deadly booms. Izumi walked over to him and gave him a very pissed-off kick in the face.

She was met by Kimblee's cackling. "You think you've won yet?" He spat, blood seeping down his now broken nose. "Just look over there and have fun defeating the strongest homunculus known to Amestris."

Ed went with Camile over to aid Envy and Greed in defeating Pride. Izumi, Wyatt and Al stayed with Kimblee and kept beating him up for answers to the whole predicament.

"Ah, you brought friends," Pride exclaimed calmly, dodging more desperate hits from Greed and Envy, stabbing Envy here or there. He'd already killed Envy about three times so far and he was regenerating more slowly.

"Bring it," Ed smirked darkly.

* * *

**~()~()~**

"Are you sure we're safe here?" Bella murmered. Her brown eyes were wide with fear and her heart was beating with anticipation.

Luki kept staring at the door of the closet they were in. "I'll make sure you are."

Bella couldn't help herself. The corners of her mouth flit upwards and she felt very comforted at his tone of voice. He'd never been a very confident person as she thought, but his voice was reassuring.

It was even more reassuring when he zapped a guard who saw the door cracked open and Luki completely electrocuted his ass.

"Th…Thank you," Bella whispered and found her arms wrapped around Luki. He stared at her shocked for the moment and then took his arms off of him.

She stared at him a little hurt and taking that as a sign of rejection. She titlted her head downwards slightly and immediately regretted the hug. Luki only chuckled softly and lifted her face to look up at his. Her cheeks were on fire.

He leaned down so that he was nearing her height and she stood on her toes up to meet him for the anticipated kiss. They soon found themselves kissing more intensely and yes, they were making out—in a closet with dirty mops and cleaning products in the middle of a takeover.

A guard saw them and pointed his gun at them. Luki didn't even open his eyes and sent painful bolts of electricity at the guard and continued kissing Bella. The girl he almost died trying to rescue from an evil squirrel. Now his back felt better and the scar was still there, but it was a good reminder of sacrifice for him.

"Hello!" Armstrong nearly missed the lightning bolt Luki had sent hurling at his head. Luki opened his eyes and stopped kissing to see Alex Louis Armstrong staring with a confused face.

..."You almost killed me!"

* * *

**~()~()~**

Pride was pinned to the ground by all four of them. His swords were strewn several feet away from him. He was completely helpless and he knew it, yet smirked anyway. Camile was smart enough to pick up on it and figured he had one more trick up his sleeve.

"Give it up, Pride. You lose," Envy snarled, inching his sword-arm closer and closer to Pride's eye.

Pride merely just chuckled. "No. I think it is you who has lost." Envy glared.

"That idiot made a mistake," Pride continued. "He thought he could challenge _me_. After I get complete and total control there isn't anything going to stop me."

Greed's glare and death grip intensified. "Who?"

"Why, Colonel Mustang, of course!" Pride laughed as though they were children who were getting an answer to an obvious question. "And now you will all pay for interfering."

Camile was right—the magician was about to reveal his grand magic trick.

The blocks of ice on Kimblee's hands were broken as soon as he managed to squeeze them together to create another boom. Izumi and Wyatt narrowly escaped out of the way, but Al was the one who was hit.

"AL!" Ed screamed and found himself rushing over to him on instinct. He knelt down the nearly destroyed remains of Al's armor and found his blood seal almost gone.

"It's ok, brother," Al assured weakly. "Just help them. They need you."

"Really thought you could contain me?" Kimblee glared and found himself engaged in brutal contact with Izumi. Wyatt became furious and sent the strongest rush of wind he could muster and used his new air alchemy to send Kimblee flying into a wall and snapping his neck in two.

"He was annoying," Wyatt said simply and went to inspect Izumi's arm. Only a few cuts and scrapes were left on it, fortunately.

"Thank you," Izumi embraced Wyatt into a quick hug.

"WHAT?!" Pride roared. "THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!"

Greed had a very scary, bloodlust look. "And that's what happens when you're outnumbered. What good is your eye now?"

Pride managed to get hold of a nearby sword and was about to hurl it into Greed's Ouroboros when the brightest flash of white light blinded everyone.

…

"PRIDE!" The loudest, frightening, and most powerful voice the group ever heard was ringing through the courtyard.

The white light dissipated and everyone was able to open their eyes. No one was standing from the white light. Greed was no longer a shield and was now his typical, 'cool' looking form.

"F-F-Father!" Pride was on his back and staring at the furious entity above him.

"I GOT HERE AT THE RIGHT TIME! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO KILL EACH OTHER!" Father looked furiously between Greed and Pride.

"BUT—POPS!"

Father shot his attention to the pathetic homunculus who had guilt mustered all over his face. "SHUT UP! I AM SICK OF YOUR MOUTH!"

"AS FOR YOU," he turned his attention to Pride. "YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN DEFY ME?! I GAVE YOU POWER! I GAVE YOU A HOME! YOU'RE GREEDIER THAN GREED!"

Camile chuckled lightly to herself. "Greedier than Greed…heh."

"THIS HAS GONE TOO FAR! NOW YOU MUST PAY THE PRICE, PRIDE!"

Pride merely shook his head in a pathetic attempt at denial. "This—can't happen! I'm sorry!"

"It's too late," Father said darkly. And with that Pride was painfully diminished into nothing but dust. His screams radiated the air in a skin-scraping sound.

"HOW COULD YOU LET TWO OF YOUR SIBLINGS JUST DIE? YOU SELFISH, WORTHLESS PIECE OF SCUM! I WISH YOU COULD BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR FAMILY! BECAUSE YOU CAN GAIN THE ENTIRE WORLD, GREED, BUT LOOK BACK AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND CARED FOR ARE **GONE**! YOU WOULDN'T THINK A HOMUNCULUS HAS FEELINGS BUT YOU **DO** AND I EXPECT YOU TO STOP BEING A WORTHLESS PIECE OF HUMAN SELFISHNESS BEFORE I SEND YOU BACK TO THE **WRETCHED** BONES YOU ONCE CAME."

Father left with one more flash of light and left everyone there shaking. Greed was in shock, trying to process the words Father had used.

Greed stared at the spot Pride and Father had been. "_Pops…_"

"It's over…" Ed breathed. He then turned his attention to his brother, who didn't seem responsive. "Al? AL!"

Everyone rushed over to the remains of Al's armor. "He's…gone," Izumi said sadly, as though she was trying to convince herself otherwise.

"NO!" Ed screamed banging his fists on the ground next to Al's armor. "I CAN'T—" tears choked him up. "You can't leave me."

Izumi started drawing a circle in the ground. "What are you doing?" Ed asked.

"Equivalent exchange." Ed attempted to grab her arm, but she gave him a slap across the face.

"Stop it!" she shouted. "I know what I'm doing."

"You can't trade your soul for my brother's!"

Izumi sighed but ignored him as she put her hands on the ground. The familiar blue light lit up from the ground.

Ed pushed her out of the way just in time, transferring his body to the Gate.

"Hello." Truth's chilling voice greeted Ed in an air that sent shivers down his spine. The Gate opened to reveal Al in his body and soul. He was aged to fifteen, like he should've been.

"Brother!" Al was able to run right out of the Gate to hug him, much to Ed's surprise. His voice—it was deeper and it seemed as though Al had matured five years in ten minutes.

"You're letting him go?" Ed asked Truth and almost immediately cringed and regretted saying something so _blunt_.

"Yes." Was the reply from Truth. Pure and simple as day. "You rid me of Pride who was on his way to rule your world. He was trying to become God-like, thanks to Mustang questioning his authority."

Ed simply blinked. "So Colonel was only suspicious."

Truth laughed. "That's right. And Pride didn't like that."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, human. Take your brother and go. It is equivalent exchange; you gave me Pride and I'll give you your brother."

Ed was pulled back into the courtyard where he once was. Al was laying on the ground next to his armor in clothes that looked ragged and much too small for his older body.

"Al!" Ed encompassed him in a hug and nearly cried. "I'm so glad you're back."

Al looked down at his hands, his fingers, his feet. His whole body. How he missed it, being able to feel, to touch, to breathe, and the feeling that almost seemed foreign—hunger.

"You're back," Izumi giggled and hugged both brothers in her arms.

Roy suddenly came out into the open with Riza being dragged with one arm around his shoulder and looking very pale.

"Good work," Roy said, sounding out of breath.

"Roy…" Riza said weakly. He laid her on the ground and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. She found it hard to control the pure shock that made its way onto her face.

"What are you doing?" She asked incredulously. "Hugging you. Because I don't want to let go." Riza found her cheeks heat up at the incredible romantic colonel that was in front of her. She pulled his arms off of her gently and made him look into her eyes to see if it was all just a trick of the mind. His black eyes were burning with a passion—of love. He was in love with her.

"I think you need to rest," Roy said softly. Riza gave him a hard slap across the face even if her arm was probably broken.

"Wha…?"

"Do you…" Riza found it incredibly hard to talk. "Are you in love with me?" she asked in a wispy voice.

Roy nodded. "Yes. I am."

"About _damn_ time, Roy!" Riza grabbed both of his cheeks in her hands and lead his lips into a game with hers.

Ed cleared his throat loudly. Roy pulled away to see Ed standing there staring smugly and smirking sheepishly. "Ooh la la, Colonel."

Roy shot him a glare. "Oh grow up, Fullmetal!" Riza pulled him into another fiery kiss.

Ed rolled his eyes. "I suddenly realize I'm tired. I think I could sleep for a week."

Wyatt rubbed the back of his sore neck. "I feel like I could sleep for a year."

"And so," Camile said in an announcer voice. "The heroes saved the day. After teaming up with some enemies they finally managed to get the bad guys and blah blah blah!"

Envy gave her a weird look. "You okay…?"

Camile smiled at him. "You know that answer." Envy just increased the perplexity on his face.

"Camile!" Bella came running from across the yard. "I was watching you from a distance!" Armstrong and Luki were following shortly behind.

"Yeah?" Camile asked, grinning.

"How did you do that?" Bella asked.

"Do what?" Camile asked.

Bella groaned playfully and punched her arm lightly. "Do the cool freezing stuff?"

"Oh. This lady named Dante gave me powers…back," Camile said, feeling very uncomfortable for an unknown reason.

"Wow! I had no idea she'd give you powers!" Bella exclaimed ignoring the 'back' Camile had added purposefully. "So she didn't kill you? You're not a homunculus?"

Envy started to raise an eyebrow. Camile laughed nervously. "Of _course_ not," she said.

"To think us humans…" Bella exclaimed and suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

Camile slapped her head and slammed her eyes shut, just _waiting_ for it.

"You're…a human?" Camile turned around to see the homunculus staring at her. No glaring, no death threats, just simply staring. Camile looked around to see everyone staring.

"Funny story…" Camile laughed nervously, although no one thought it was funny. She suddenly felt very…odd. A mixture of emotions welled up inside of her.

Camile sighed and looked Envy straight in the eyes. She licked her fingers and led it over the 'bite marks' she drew with a sharpie and it came off on her neck and fingers.

"Yes. Now, go ahead and kill me," Camile sighed, averting her eyes to the ground. Afraid of what creative murder Envy would do knowing she lied to him. Honestly, she was still amazed any of them bought it. But then again, maybe they knew all along.

Bella gave her a shocked look. _'Why on earth would she say that?'_

Camile finally looked up to meet blank violet eyes staring at her. His face usually went blank and thoughtful when he was shocked. _'He had no idea…'_

Camile turned around to walk away, in shame. '_Now no one would trust me! Great!'_

**~()~()~**

Ed sighed nervously and got into the phonebooth to call Winry. He made a promise to her two days ago to call and let her know he was okay after this. And she also promised to call him, but he decided to be a gentleman and call her.

"_Hello?"_

"Winry, hey. It's me, Ed."

_"ED? Oh my gosh are you okay?"_

"Yeah," He played with the cord on the phone. "Everyone's okay. Bradley turned out to be a homunculus named Pride. Isn't that something?"

"_Wow. That's…something."_

Ed hesitated a moment. "Al got his body back…"

_Silence._

"Winry?"

"…_What? A-are you sure?!"_

Ed smiled to himself. "Al's back. A psychopath named Kimblee destroyed his armor. Al's bloodseal got damaged and Izumi tried to do equivalent exchange. I pushed her out of the way. Heh. Looks like I got him back."

"_Al…wow…hey, Ed? You didn't lose anything did you?"_

"No. Surprisingly. I guess getting my brother back as a whole was payback for helping defeat Pride."

"_I can't wait to see you all again…" _Ed could hear her starting to choke up on the other end and only sadly smiled to himself.

"We, uh, didn't see TMK here."

"_Who?"_

Ed sighed and then remembered. "'The mysterious killer'. We call him TMK for short. He's the phantom going around."

"_Oh."_

"I expected to find him here, but…I guess he has no links to Bradley, apparently."

_"Don't tell me you're going to do something stupid are you?"_

"Winry."

"_Ed."_

"Have you not heard of what he's done? It's absolutely horrifying. Someone's gotta stop him."

Ed could hear a loud huffing sigh on the phone. _"All the more reason not to go! What ever happened to the Philosopher's Stone you told me about?"_

Ed looked at his shoes. "I'm not sure that's much of a worry anymore…"

_"Huh?"_

"Winry," Ed said a little guilty. "Envy, Greel-Greed, and Wrath along with a girl who said she was a vampire…well apparently she's human and somehow got Envy to believe it. I have no idea how but anyway! They helped me!"

…"_Um who exactly are those people?"_

"Homunculi." Ed could practically feel the tension on the other end.

"_ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU'RE TEAMING UP WITH HOMUNCULI NOW?!"_

Ed had to throw the phone off his ear momentarily to avoid going deaf. "Yes, apparently I am and as much as I hate Envy, his perverted buddy, or that devil-spawn who used to be Izumi's baby, they helped me. So, I guess they do have a heart somewhere."

"_YOU'RE LUCKY I'M NOT THERE OR I'D BEAT YOU SENSELESS EDWARD!"_

Ed remembered the wrench. He was not fond of the wrench. "I still have my doubts, but I saw they weren't lying when they said they'd help. And so far it's been a day and I haven't been killed yet."

"_Just be careful, Ed!"_

"I will." Ed said and then paused a moment. "…Winry?"

"_Yeah?"_

Ed felt a blush going to his cheeks and his heart rate decide to speed up on him without his permission. "Nothing, never mind." He knew if Al were there, he'd slap him for being so gutless.

"_Okay then. Well, a customer just walked in. I have to go adjust their automail…bye, Ed. Be safe…"_

"I will. Goodbye, Winry." He hung up the phone and heaved in a sigh. Ed slouched against the walls of the phonebooth and then finally making his way back to the hotel.

* * *

**Me: Ok, so I hope that wasn't a fail. It took me literally all day to write this plus two, so I'm tired also my hand hurts!**

**Wyatt: Oh, really? Writing?**

**Me: NO! Who knew detergent could be heavy?!**

**Wyatt: I don't know.**

**Me: AH! I am NEVER doing laundry again!**

**Wyatt: Ok**

**Me: I almost broke my freaking hand! I am NEVER lifting a heavy basketful of detergent above my head onto a shelf ever again!**

**Wyatt: *walks away***

**Me: You insensitive jerk! *Throws banana at***

**Wyatt: *passes out***

**Me: Ugh…prissy little nerd. I should kill him off just for that. :) muahaha**

**::I hope you liked this and I would most definitely appreciate some feedback! Also, elections are soon so let's say reviews are as vital as voting! SO REVIEW! YOU can make a difference ;)**


	8. Reconciliation

Wow, uh okay. So I finally managed to get this in before school Wednesday! YIPPIE! I felt really stupid *slaps self* Armstrong is a major, not a general. Gosh, I can't remember that. Maybe I'm being too anal when reading back my stories? I don't know. Also, Greed is going to be rather OOC from now on, but don't worry the same cockiness will be HERE! Also, I'm trying to refrain from using foul language or anything bad in my stories. So, yes, there is implied themes and violence, but I want to keep it more friendly for audiences. The rating will stay the same though. You never know who reads this, soo...yep. Uh-huh. I'm running out to say. CHICKEN LEGS!

...random dancing. iCarly? Meh. Not my style.

**Kashagal and Natures Ruler: Banana powers are awesome. In fact, Wyatt may be waking up soon O.O *shifty eyes***

**FMAsushi96: Aww thanks! I try to include as many details as I can while maintaining dialogue. But I feel like I fail haha**

**ishmael: Well, I'll try to get a new chapter this weekend. Maybe ;)**

**guest: Thanks!**

**Chapter 8: Reconciliation**

* * *

"…Wow. That's something." Camile looked at her best friend as though they hadn't seen each other in years. And in a matter of speaking, they really hadn't. Well, they just sort of jumped from 2012 to the 1910's just like that _and_ in a parallel world…if that counted. Whatever.

Bella nodded her head slowly, focusing her gaze on the wooden table. "All that for you." The sounds of crickets and the calm night sky above them sent off a calming atmosphere.

"Well," Camile smiled. "We're just going to have to deal with this." She tried to dismiss the sound of discertainty and slight sadness in her voice as the nostalgia of Chicago ate at her insides.

"There's something else I think you should deal with though."

Camile raised a brow and looked into Bella's amused looking brown orbs. "Oh?" Bella pointed her head in the direction of Envy who sat with his back facing them in the distance. He was on a hill and was barely noticable unless you squinted.

Camile sighed. He had been avoiding her for the past 24 hours and clearly ignored her. Well, it wasn't really a new experience for Camile; he was Envy, he usually always was annoyed and would avoid you unless it benefited him or he was bored. But it was just different…he acted like she just didn't exist and Camile would not have that.

"Why?" Camile asked irritated and waved a hand in the air to express her obvious wanting not to.

"I thought you liked him."

Camile scoffed. "Yeah, try having him kill you multiple times for just trying to get him to have some fun."

Bella blinked. "Last I checked he didn't really _have_ fun, unless it was killing someone."

"Mmm," Camile agreed. "I don't like him." She stared straight into Bella's eyes with a confidence to prove it. It worked.

"Go have fun with Luki or something. I'll do it."

Bella's eyes widened into the size of watermelons and her face turned a noticable shade of red, even in the dim light of the moon and the lantern on their table. "Wha…What?! C-Camile!" she spurted.

Camile just chuckled and got up from the bench, swinging her long legs out of underneath and began walking over to the hill. "Besides…I got this." Camile flaunted a shiny knife that she had hidden in her pants and covered by her tank top.

Bella's surprise from her friend's previous suggestion faded a little and she nodded, leaving her friend to talk to Envy and perhaps think about the whole Luki thing herself.

It got noticably darker as she approached Envy. But he was still visible. Camile wondered how he even saw anything this dark. _That vampire_, then again, he seemed to like it. Camile briefly spun her head around to see the back of their inn get smaller and smaller. The others would probably kill her for going _alone_, in the _dark_, with a _dangerous homunculus_. But, she tried to stay optimistic and say she wasn't going to get brutally murdered.

She neared his figure who was still hunched over on the grass and resting his chin on his legs. Camile couldn't see his face but his arms were wrapped over his knees, letting dark long pointy hair fall over his shoulders.

'_How am I going to say I'm not all that bad for a human?' _She thought over this carefully and decided by first saying his name at least and see where things went.

"What do you want?" His voice nearly startled Camile. It didn't have the usual annoyance in it; it just seemed tired and bored, but with the familiar edge.

"How'd you know I was here?" Camile breathed, blinking at the teenage homunculus at her feet. Envy merely pointed a finger to his ears and put his arm back around his knees.

Camile nodded. She really had to stop forgetting he had supernatural hearing. "Ah. So, can I sit down?"

"…Whatever." Camile sat down next to Envy and looked at the side of his face. His gaze was fixed at the landscape in front of him and he seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

"I think I owe you an explanation about the whole human thing."

"Yes, yes you do," Envy said, not moving an inch from his position. His voice still sounded uninterested.

Camile sighed. "I woke up in the woods where you guys found me first. I wasn't lying about that. I was surprised that you guys would even believe me!" She said the last sentence with a small laugh, trying to ease the tense atmosphere that you could cut through with a butterknife.

He didn't move.

"And of course, I don't have amnesia. And I was surprised Dante didn't put a curse on me considering she gave me some pretty fricking cool powers. She doesn't seem like a very trusting person like that."

He still didn't move.

"But, my friends and I? Wyatt, Luki, and Bella? We're not from here," Camile said. "And we know a lot about everything."

It was time for his head to whip around and glare at her with interest. _Oops, I didn't mean to say the last one._

"You…_what?!_" Now the atmosphere became dangerous and he stared at her with interest, leaning in closer and closer, completely disregarding her personal space like he normally did.

"Um…we know a lot about homunculi? From the library?" No matter how hard she tried, Camile couldn't seem to mask the nervousness in her voice. Good thing she brought her handy-dandy knife.

Envy glared, gripping tight hands around the straps of her shirt. "No. You meant about _here, everything_."

Camile let out a little laugh and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh that? Well, I tend to say meaningless things. Haha."

Envy growled and pressed his nose into hers, forcing her not to look away from him. So what does she do? Close her eyes. But maybe hearing his threatening voice was worse.

"Tell me."

Camile let out a small whimper. '_Well, it was nice knowing everyone!'_

"TELL ME!"

"I…I can't," the words were barely breathed by a shaking Camile. Envy didn't let go, nor did he speak another word for several seconds.

Camile slowly opened her eyes to see an unreadable emotion in his eyes. "Why?"

"It would make more sense if you wait," Camile said quietly, closing her eyes once more and tears nearly made their way past her eyelids that were rammed shut. Something sort of snapped inside her that made her feel sick…there was something about the situation Envy put her in.

Envy reluctantly let go of her and watched her boredly as she lay on her back on the grass and covered her head.

"C'mon, let's go." Camile's wet eyes opened to see Envy halfway across the field and headed back toward the hotel.

"Well? Aren't you coming?" Envy called out, not quite yelling. His annoyed tone sounded like a command and Camile promptly rose to her feet to prevent an injury he could easily inflict upon her, but for some reason decided he hadn't.

They went inside the back door of the hotel walking past the benches that Camile and Bella had once been at. They were empty.

Envy took Camile by surprise and grabbed her wrist firmly and dragged her in the opposite direction of her room.

"What are you doing? I need to go to sleep!" Camile cried, trying to squirm her way from his grasp. Obviously, her squirming didn't faze him one bit.

Yes, Camile had a room. No, not with the usual people either. The hotel manager decided it'd be safer, and in the 'best interest of the hotel customers and employees' if their rooms were decided. The hotel manager claimed she could easily point out 'couples' and said she didn't want to get complaints from other customers of what she said would be 'compulsive sounds of love-making in their rooms'. So what does she do about it?

The hotel manager decided to split Camile with Alphonse, whom Camile didn't mind he just would _not shut up_ about his body, which was…okay she supposed, she wasn't exactly a suit of armor for five years so she didn't know how he felt. Then Greed was with Wrath because Envy wanted a room all to himself without a 'brat snoring all night'. Apparently, Envy needed his beauty rest. How a homunculus needed sleep when they were immortal was beyond Camile. Bella was with Ed and Luki was with Wyatt. They had separate beds…no worries.

And what about Izumi? She had to go back to Dublith and even though Wrath had to go with everyone on this 'mission' they agreed on, he promised to keep in touch with her. The mission would be carried out in the morning in which they were going to travel to Xing to visit an old friend named Ling and he supposedly said he could help them about TMK.

And you're probably wondering why Greed is going with them. Well, he doesn't have his minions anymore and had been quiet ever since the harsh reprimanding with Father. So, more than likely, it woke him up and he decided to help someone out whom wasn't him for once. Shocking!

But, back to reality.

"Envy, where are we going?" Camile said, trying to move her feet in the opposite direction, only to have the shuffling inflict a fall on her bottom.

Envy sighed and helped her back up on her feet. "My room."

Camile's face blanched and she found herself staring at the homunculus next to her who seemed to say it like a casual thing.

He morphed his hand into a key since he didn't feel like lugging around a stupid room key the whole night. His room opened and welcomed Camile in a familiar darkness. There was a very dim light next to the desk across from the bed, but that was it.

"Um…" Camile found herself for a loss of words. First he tried to kill her and now he was going to—yeah totally odd.

He turned around and grabbed her by the waist, sending Camile jumping ten feet in the air. Her breath started to steady only by a millimeter when he grabbed the knife hiding in the side of her pants.

His lips formed into a mocking pout. "Aww. What's this? Stabbing someone who is so nice to you?"

Camile had to withold the urge to grab the knife and slit his fricking throat open at that moment. Now, he was just urking her for fun. Now that he knew she was human.

"Can you give that back?" Camile said calmly, crossing her arms.

"Nah. Don't feel like it," Envy smirked, staring at the shiny and unusual looking knife she carried with her. Much to Camile's surprise, he threw it boredly across the room and she felt herself calm down with relief.

The urge to strangle his throat, even if it wouldn't do much except provoke him, and the tenseness all returned when he grabbed her waist once again and pressed her closer to his chest.

"You need sleep, _human_." His voice sounded edgy, as if he were testing her to do something.

When Camile didn't answer, for she was in shock, he let out a small chuckle. "You're tired."

His breath just barely nicked the side of her ear as one arm played with the wavy strands of her dark blond hair. "Let's make an understanding here."

That shook her out of reality and the oh-so familiar feeling of wanting to strangle him returned. "What are you talking about?" she spat.

"You have to promise me something," Envy breathed, tempting Camile by nibbling on her ear that sent foreign and uncomfortable spasms up and down her body.

"What?" Camile seethed, trying to ignore the whole seduction happening. His hand stopped playing in her hair (which she hated in the first place) and moved to massage her shoulder blades in a circular motion.

Camile could practically feel his smirk growing as she let out an unintentioned shudder. "You tell me what, who, and where you're from as soon as we get rid of this whole TMK person."

Camile had a tough time staying awake in his arms. "Deal. Just, let me go."

Envy did as he was told and crossed his arms, smirking slyly. "Better?"

Camile rolled her eyes and focused it on the corner of the floor, trying to fight the blush threatening to splurge on her cheeks. "Can I go back to my room?"

"No."

Camile looked at him a little surprised, but then again she wasn't. It was Envy. He always had something mischievous going on. "It's almost ten o'clock, if I don't go back to the room they'll come and find me."

"Then let them," Envy shrugged indifferently.

"Dude! I am really tired!" Camile whined. This only pleased Envy.

"There's a bed right there," Envy pointed to a single bed large enough for maybe two people not a foot away from her knee.

"Whatever. If it makes you happy, I'll sleep here. On your bed." Camile smiled to herself. He would hate it if she did that.

"Okay," Envy smirked. Camile's pride was thrown in the garbage and obliterated to pieces. So, he really didn't care.

Camile just solemnly climbed up on the bed and turned on her side, facing the wall. She was so tired and the fact that a dangerous psychopath named Envy was in the same room as her almost floated away.

The bed near Camile's body suddenly sunk down slightly as she heard the spoken of homunculus lay down behind her. She sighed. "Just stay on your side of the bed and we'll get along just fine," she sighed distantly. She was almost asleep.

When he didn't answer, Camile smiled to herself triumphantly. Finally, some rest without his sly remarks.

"You know, you could really fool someone."

Camile opened her eyes and her eyebrows furrowed into confusion. She was tempted to smack him and tell him she needed sleep. Oh no, but he _had_ to bother her.

"What do you mean?" Camile slurred, struggling to keep her heavy eyelids open.

"I'd appreciate it more if I wasn't talking to your back," Envy chuckled, staring at the ceiling.

Camile sighed deeply and reluctantly did so. Why did she feel like she shouldn't of? Because as soon as she did, Envy grabbed her and dragged her near to him. His chin was resting on her head as his strong arms enclosed her.

"What did you mean?" Camile asked, trying to disregard the fact that he was doing what he wanted with her—again.

"I actually believed you weren't human," Envy said indifferently.

"Oh."

Envy tightened his grip around her and lowered his head, letting his nose rest in the scent of her hair—vanilla.

"Why are you letting me stay on your bed?" Camile asked, staring at the ceiling.

Envy smirked, breathing in and out while his nose was still in her hair. "Because I'm in a generous mood. Unless you—"

"No, I'm fine," Camile, laughed nervously. "This is fine." She decided it would get her nowhere fast to ask questions and just try to relax and get some sleep.

'_Also, when I said you weren't the typical human, I meant it.'_ Camile thought she heard Envy sigh shakily and breathe those words. But it sounded barely above a whisper and Camile was riding the boat to dreamland.

**~()~()~**

"BWAHAHAHA~!" The sound of a menacing cackle awoke the two in gasps.

Greed was standing at the edge of their bed laughing like a maniac while Wrath was near the door making retching sounds.

Envy suddenly turned very dark and released his comfortable hold on Camile. "How did you get in?"

Wrath held up an extra room key in triumph. "We found this in the garbage."

Greed smirked. "But it seems you two lovebirds are busy at the moment, so we were just leaving."

"Lovebirds?" Camile whispered, doubting anyone would care or hear her. For Greed, that wasn't the case.

"Oh, mornin', sweetheart. Everyone was looking for you," Greed laughed, and then he turned his attention to Envy. "I didn't know you were so _soft_ with humans now." Greed pointed to the blanket that was on Camile that Envy seemingly put over her sometime in the night.

Envy growled and nearly lunged at him. "Would you get out?"

Greed nodded, his violet eyes sparkling with amusement. "You have an hour before we get on the train to Xing, anyway."

Wrath laughed. "Man, you should've seen your faces!" he pointed a finger at the two of them.

Camile blushed. "Um, what do you mean?"

Greed stopped at the door and chuckled. "Envy had a rather smug smirk on his face. He was blushing too."

Envy shot up from the bed. "That's it. Get out. NOW!"

Greed let out a final chuckle before he left the room with Wrath. Camile and Envy were left there, staring at each other.

"You need to get ready."

Camile blinked at him. "Did you mean what you said last night?"

Envy stopped in his tracks and stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Camile thought a moment before stopping herself. She was probably imagining things. "Nothing. I was probably really tired." She got up and walked out the door awkwardly without saying one more word to him.

Envy sighed. She almost heard him admit that he thinks she was a different human. And in a good way too…

**~()~()~**

"So how long will we be on the train?" Bella asked, blinking at the golden-eyed boy in front of her.

Ed was resting his elbow on the window, staring at a map on his lap. "A couple of days, probably."

Bella looked over at Camile and Envy who were just glaring at each other, scoffing, and looking out the window.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave your friend with a homunculus?" Bella spun her head to see Al and Ed now staring at her.

"I don't know," Bella said honestly. "I'm kinda weird about it, myself. But, she's smart and I don't think she would let him hurt her."

"I'm not too thrilled about homunculi helping us either. But I will keep an eye out on your friend, okay?"

Bella nodded and continued to stare out the window of rolling landscape. She worried about her friend's safety. This was Envy she was talking about. He was known to be selfish and only get what he wants and then of course, probably get rid of her.

'Whatever it was he wanted, Camile better be careful…'

Luki suddenly hovered over the empty spot next to Bella. "Can I sit here?"

Bella nodded and moved her bag onto her lap. "Wyatt tell you what's going on?" she asked, careful not to sound suspicious with the Elric brothers in front of her.

Luki nodded. "I can't believe the whole TMK thing either." He said it trying to sound more normal with the brothers in front of him. Bella caught on to his silent protests.

"Cough," Bella said quietly, staring out the window.

"What?" Luki asked, his brow furrowing deep. She nudged him and a lightbulb flickered on in his head.

Luki suddenly had a coughing fit in which both brothers asked if he was okay or needed some water. Luki shook his head no and pointed to his throat, indicating he 'lost his voice'.

Bella got out a notepad from her bag and began writing on it. Once she was done, she handed it to the tall teen next to her.

_We need to keep an eye out on the homunculi. I don't trust them around Camile, or us for that matter. I want to be wrong._

Luki stared at it a moment before gathering the pen in his hand and scribbling some words of his own on the paper.

_I know. But Greed seems—different after the whole 'Father' thing that happened to him. Maybe he changed?_

_I don't know. But, I see it too. Maybe something finally snapped._

The two leaned up slightly, staring above their heads to the seat on the other side of theirs to see none other than Greed himself staring out of the window. There was even a very busty, slutty looking woman who walked by and Greed did nothing to indicate interest. He just looked out the window in deep thought. _Very_ odd.

Luki and Bella stared at each other and then looked away, minding their own business. After a while, Bella decided to rest her head on Luki's shoulder, which took him by surprise, but he let her and after a while he fell asleep too.

* * *

**A/N: The original scene I had with Envy and Camile was MUCH more touchy :D like, hot-flashy as my friend would say. And it got deleted so, poo. No hot-flashy for you! But it was one of my fav chapters so far writing and I felt it had a lot more to it with the emotions of other characters such as Greed andI tried to recreate it from memory, but it just came out completely different in this one. :( So, yeah. R&R lovelies! I'll try to get crackin' on chapter nine which should include lots more characters!**


	9. Ling of Xing and Ghosts

**A/N**: I'm sorry for the delay! Schoolwork had been horrible, although I love my classes and I love all the people in them along with my new teachers. So, enriched English class? UGGHGHGHGHGHG! It's hard, but not impossible. We do a lot of reading and analyzing essays, which isn't my favorite thing in the world to do, but that's what I wanted! I really like reading into stuff so I hope I can use fancy analogies, aphorisms, metaphors, oxymorons, similies and all that good stuff into my writing! Essays are interesting…just interesting…

Oh! And if someone could maybe draw my oc's for me? Or the usual FMA crew with my OC's? I tried to but I think it's a fail and my computer is a _beeeeeeccchhh_ and won't let me put it on here. -_- stupid technology.

THANKS FOR REVIEWS PEEPS!~~

* * *

**Chapter 9: Ling of Xing And Ghosts**

**~()~()~_ September 14 _~()~()~**

Wyatt's face blanched and he watched the two girls across from him in horror.

"I prefer under."

Bella raised an eyebrow in interest as they spent their last day on the train to Xing talking away. "Oh really?"

"Yep," Camile smirked.

"Well don't they usually go over?"

"Yeah," Camile said in thought. "But…under is more convenient. Easier to get to."

"So they usual jus—"

"_WHAT_ the _HECK_ are you two talking about?" Envy butt in, staring at the two an aisle across from his. Wyatt sweatdropped and stared at the homunculus in front of him who asked a question beating in his mind.

"Toilet paper rolls," Camile blinked at him casually and went back to tracing her fingers over a rather colorful drawing she had made when she was bored earlier.

Wyatt nearly felt his heart stop with relief. "Uh…"

"You are so dirty!" Bella exclaimed, smiling and pointing a finger at her cousin.

"I didn't know you thought that way, Wyatt."

Wyatt's face got red from the neck up in anger. "I do _not_!" he huffed and crossed his arms, averting his attention to the window.

"When are we going to eat?" Camile whined and slammed a hand on the table demandingly.

"Yo!" Camile said suddenly, gathering attention from several passengers. "Hey, Ed!"

Ed sighed and looked confused before turning around from his seat to hers behind him. They decided to switch seats every new day on the train. Lucky Ed, he got Camile behind him this time and she absentmindedly made sure he was entertained and kept awake while on the train.

"Yes?" He asked, resting an automail arm on the top of the seat.

"I'm hungryyy!" Camile pouted.

Ed blinked. "We should be there in less than ten minutes."

"I WANT NOODLES ON MASHED POTATOES!"

The group all turned their attention to Camile, slightly frightened and weirded out by her odd food request. It seemed something a pregnant woman would request.

"Are you pregnant?" Bella asked.

Camile dropped her brow in confusion. "I'm pretty sure, why?"

"You guys looked pretty cozy the other night." It was Greed who commented this time; referring to the close proximity he saw Envy and Camile in.

Envy growled but Greed only chuckled.

"Hey, sweets, you can get pregnant can't you?" Greed smirked. Envy was building up with fury.

Camile's face turned completely pale before it changed into deep anger. "What are you talking about?! Of course I can! Most women can!"

Greed chuckled. "I swear if you even think about doing something, I'll make sure your _thingy_ is deformed!" Camile threatened.

"Hey, now, I was just curious. Maybe lat—"

"Greed, shut up!" Envy shouted and nearly hit Greed in the back of the head. Everyone was met by a loud yelp from a certain brunette.

"OWW!" Bella winced and held her nose. The impact from Envy's fist made it bleed but it wasn't quite broken.

Envy stared expressionless for a minute, eyes glazed over.

"Now look what you did!" Ed said. Most of them didn't even notice he was still resting his arm on the seat behind him.

"It was an accident, shrimp," Envy growled.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE CAN'T EVEN FIT IN A CARSEAT?!"

Al laughed nervously, quite fidgety from all the racket and looks they were getting. "Um, brother," Al patted his brother's arm. "We should at least try not to draw attention to ourselves."

Camile nodded. "This is odd. Very odd. Things are getting odd. I agree."

Ed sighed angrily. "Well it's hard to do when you're traveling with three homunculi!" His voice had only dropped slightly.

"Does it look like we're happy going with you too, pipsqueak?" Envy said, waving his hand haughtily.

"Yeah, it's not like we had a choice," Greed smirked.

Ed narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? Of course you had a choice."

Envy, Greed, and Wrath all sighed deeply. "T.M.K. is getting on our last nerves," Envy explained. "If some _human_, or whatever this person is, doesn't know they pissed off a homunculus."

Ed raised a brow but kept listening. Envy never told him this.

Envy growled lightly. "He's been proving a bit strong, even for me. He was a—good match for me on a little errand I had to run."

"And I never did get new clothes anyway!" Camile said suddenly.

Envy ignored her and glared at Ed. "So you see, Fullmetal? If anything Greed, Wrath, and I are doing this for ourself. You're just a precious resource to get us closer to hunting him down."

Ed sighed and nodded before sinking down back into his seat. "Then don't even think about trying anything funny, Envy."

Envy smirked. "I'm not that stupid."

"Never said you _were_!"

"I still want my food, ladies!" Camile whined loudly.

Bella groaned. "Ok…so maybe that isn't so bad. Mind if I try some sometime?"

Camile looked mildly confused but then laughed. "Sure!"

Wyatt groaned and held his head. "SHUT UP! You're giving _me_ a headache," he snapped.

"SHUT UP, WYATT!" Everyone said in unison. Now the train folks were starting to get mildly pissed.

"Guys…" Al whimpered.

"Hey look…Xing!"

The group turned their full attention to the windows on the right, which held the ethereal landscape of that which is called Xing.

They all grabbed their suitcases full of clothes and other necessities for a night or two with the prince Ling himself. The prince seemingly snuck out of his place a few days ago and was now wandering in a small town in search of the beautiful and perfect future wife.

Ed and Al had gone to Xing a few months earlier in search of learning alkahestry, and ran into the prince. Now, he supposedly wrote them a letter explaining he had seen T.M.K. and his mask had fallen off in a shuffle. Behind the mask was another black ski mask so no one could see his or perhaps her, face.

Everyone grabbed their bags from the luggage compartments and discreetly walked out the train. Oh no, it wasn't a hard thing, all Envy had to do was keep in the disguise of a tall, thin, brown-haired, green-eyed man and he was golden. Wrath was in normal clothes and Greed; well he was pretty much the same.

The asian-themed air of Xing welcomed them in a strangely comforting hug. The train station left the group in a small town of Kiano, where Ling was rumored to be hiding around. Kiano was one of the smallest towns in Xing, and wasn't even on the map. The peach-colored mountains in the backround covered the town in a veil. It was also hard to believe you _weren't_ in Xing, no matter how hard you _wanted_ to. Everyone looked the same; small pale faces, red lips, dark hair, grey eyes, near the same height for women and men, and wore yellow, pink, or green clothing. Just a mere glimpse at the people of Kiano were odd, everything they did—odd. Even slightly more eccentric than the rest of Xing's people.

"How are we supposed to find Ling?" Al looked over at his brother with melted brown eyes.

Ed made a barely noticable frown, unless you were paying attention. He was trying to stay optimistic. "This may be harder than I thought…"

"What now?" Wyatt asked, stepping off the train last and dragging his bag along the cracked pavement. His yellow shirt was already dusty with orange sand from the wind.

"We'll just have to find him," Ed shrugged. He got in front of all of them, his blond ponytail swaying in the wind.

Camile slumped and said bluntly, "I'm hungry."

"You're not going anywhere without the rest of us," Envy said boredly. His voice sounded much more masculine in the body he was currently in. It took some time getting used to it, but the attitude was undoubtedly Envy's.

Camile gave a stumped look. "I wasn't—planning on it."

Envy glared at her for only a minute and then passed. "Whatever. You aren't leaving my sight."

"Trust issues," Camile coughed under her breath. Lucky for her, Envy's supernatural hearing wasn't focused at the moment or he'd probably put a collar on her or something for proof.

"Why don't I just watch her?" Wrath suggested, skipping along to the two's brisk pace.

"Because," Envy scowled slightly. "It's a new place, and with T.M.K. going around, I don't think so."

"Can I go with her to get something to eat?" Wrath said, absentmindedly licking his lips.

"I _just _said," Envy hissed. "No."

"Can we _please_ get something to eat?" Camile asked, unknowing she was hooked onto Envy's arm. His face only had a brief _blip_ of annoyance and then went blank as he stared at her.

"WOAH! Sorry," Camile laughed nervously and flung her hands away from him as though he were a wildfire.

"Yeah, we'll find a restaurant! What does everyone feel like eating?" As soon as Ed asked that, everyone shouted in several, confusing answers all at once.

"Umm," Ed said, scratching his arm, looking frantically about so he could satisfy everyone's hunger needs.

_Jin's Grill—Eat here! We got everything!_

Lightbulb. Ed headed off to his right and stopped at the tables surrounding outside. It was like a miniature café, except the fact that the tables were very crammed together and were in the middle of the street.

Ed decided it'd be easier to write down everyone's orders and then give it to the chef at the counter inside.

"We don't stick out," Luki said quietly, looking around self-conciously at the dark-haired, dark-eyed people staring back at them. He set his black backpack on the table and took a seat next to her.

Camile flung her violet-colored tote off her shoulder and onto the cast-iron stool next to Bella's things.

"Be right back. I'm going to wash my hands."

Bella made an 'ok' sound and Camile walked over to the bathroom. She was incredibly tired and being far from home always made her sleepy. The bathroom was old and the once pearly white paint that coated the building was now chipped with the erosion of age. She looked at herself in the mirror; slightly dark circles under her eyes and she was acquiring a tan. Her loose, navy-blue shirt was thin and airy, and the black tank top underneath made the tan appear darker. She looked at her teeth and noticed that her tan made her look less like a vampire.

She decided to splash her face with water in the sink to wake herself up. She was cautious not to wash away her makeup, even if it was very minor and wouldn't make a huge difference. Camile was a pretty girl to begin with, and never found the time to wear much makeup at all besides mascara, blush, and some lip balm. She also didn't realize that she was fortunate to have a 'baby face', which people mistaked her for sixteen. But, Camile was just self-concious. When she looked in the mirror again, water droplets fell from her chin and hands. But her hands were much whiter than usual—almost…transparent.

Camile blinked and blinked. She even slapped herself lightly only to feel what was her wrist smack her cheek. She looked skeptically down at her hands and thought they were disappearing. They were like looking through a thin veil, one that you would put on your windows as curtains. She was staring for a good three minutes before finding words to shoot through her ever-going mind.

"Tired…" Camile mumbled and quickly threw away the bizarre thought. She walked out of the bathroom and noticed her hands were now fully there. She sighed in relief and walked back from the back of the restaurant that was situated by an alley and to the front of the building. Little did she know that while she was gone, an unexpected visitor was rummaging through her belongings.

"What the…" Camile nearly had a heartattack to see someone sitting on—yes _on_—their table. And he was even going through Camile's bag while Luki and Bella just sat watching nervously. And of course Wyatt wasn't going to do anything.

Camile walked briskly over to the golden-dressed man. His black eyes stared at her calmly. "Is there, like, a reason you're going through my bag?" she pointed.

"Oh, hello. Why I just needed a pen, so I could write down your name, pretty lady."

Camile rolled her eyes at his obvious fail of flirting. She raised an eyebrow and held out her hand expectantly. The man still didn't drop the calm demeanor.

"I'm Ling," the handsome young man snatched up her hand and kissed it gently. "What's yours?"

"Camile," she said boredly. _So…this is the prince? Huh. Interesting._

"Camile…?"

"Hansen. Camile Hansen. Now why are you here?" Camile asked. None of the others seemed to be doing anything, just staring at the prince before them. Ed and Al weren't back yet from the counter or else Camile figured they'd be hopping him with questions. But no, they just _had_ to be stuck in line, leaving a stranger to go through her stuff for a _pen _and _paper_. And that was just for some stupid flirting…probably like he did any girl.

"So I heard you are the prince or something?" Envy asked, observing his fingernails. Camile rolled her eyes. He could be such a girl sometimes.

Ling smiled calmly. He didn't even seemed bother by the fact that there were people flooding the streets when he was supposed to be in 'hiding'. "You are correct."

"And…"

"LING!" Ed screeched and came running to the table, nearly spilling the trayfuls of food he and Al held in their arms.

Al made an awkward noise. "Errmmm…"

Ling waved. "Ah, Fullmetal. So we are getting down to business are we?"

"With some friends too, I see," Ling, added, looking around at everyone.

Ed nodded, setting the food down at the center of the table where everyone grabbed their own dish. "I figured the better prepared we are for someone like T.M.K., the better."

Camile silently grabbed her bag that lay on Ling's lap. He was sitting crossed armed, smiling, and with one foot resting on his knee.

"Did you find a wife yet, Ling?" Al smiled.

Ling looked at him for a bit, but then smiled. "I see you have your body back!" he clapped, beaming. "Congratulations, my friend!"

Al nodded and smiled back politely. "Thank you…so…um did you?"

"Oh! Oh! _That_," Ling laughed. "I think I may have…" he then averted his attention slightly to Camile, who stood awkwardly and shifted her foot in the sandy pavement. She backed away a good ten feet.

Envy growled slightly. He shot up from his casual sitting position and grabbed her by the forearms and pushed her back into his stomach protectively. Camile fought a blush. Her dark hazel eyes were wide with confusion.

"Or not," Ling shrugged.

"I heard you found a mas—" Ed started only to have Ling read his mind and hold up an ethereal mask proudly.

The mask was dark green with red stripes. The eyes were an odd dark maroon color and were like tiny slits that were covered with a colored mesh. The mouth was barred and had spiky teeth like a piranha. It looked slightly demonic, and was something Wrath and Envy had now triggered in the memory. They were a little busy to remember details about the mask when they were fighting, but now that the mask was physically in front of them, it was easier.

"That's it," Wrath said in awe. He pointed a finger half-heartedly at the mask that slightly resembled The Shield.

Ling raised an eyebrow. "This thing? Are you sure?"

Wrath nodded energetically. "Yes! I remember it in a fought we had with T.M.K.! That's their mask!"

"Oh, it's definitely not a they. It's a male for certain," Ling said with pursed lips. "I could tell by their body type."

Ed raised an eyebrow and leaned in slightly, but said nothing.

"He was quite a challenge wasn't he?" Ling smirked distantly.

"Oh you bet," Wrath said seriously, his voice laced with disappointment.

"So how did you even get a hold of this? It sure is something," Ed said, grabbing the mask from Ling's hands and observing it closely.

Ling nodded and lifted up his sleeve to reveal a heavily bandaged left arm. "It was far from easy. As the future emperor of Xing, I have never seen such a fighter. It almost seems…"

Ling paused. "…Not from this world, I could tell you that. But that is only my opinion." Ling shifted his leg so that he was in a reversed, identical positon with his legs.

"Did he change much from when I last saw him?" Ed said, leaning on the table and resting his chin in his automail palm.

"No, not at all. He was still dressed entirely in black."

"Well, Ling. I have got to give you credit—this mask is one more step to finding this guy. And once we do, he has hell to pay."

Ling stared at Ed and then sighed, closing his eyes. "I would definitely not get cocky. He's not a force to be messed with. I found that out by my injuries and narrowly escaped alive."

For whatever reason, Greed found this funny and burst out laughing, which went willfully ignored for the moment. It soon subsided.

"Do you know where he went? Or at least see where he was going?" Ed asked, not moving an inch.

"It was broad daylight when we fought. So you need to have both eyes and ears open everywhere," Ling warned. "But he was headed toward the West last I saw."

Ed nodded and looked once more at T.M.K.'s mask in his hands. "Thank you, Ling. This will come in handy."

"Do you even know what to do with this evidence?"

Ed paused a moment and stared blankly. "Um…"

Ling sighed and smacked his head, but then laughed. He could be such an odd one. "I have a friend named Ilina, she paints, makes, and observes these masks for a living. She's the blacksmith just five blocks down. Make sure to bring this to her."

Ed nodded. "Oh, okay. Well, thanks Ling."

"Oh and one more thing…"

Ed stared and blinked.

"I sort of had a meal with your money while you were picking up silverware." Ling pointed to the stacks of empty plates with a few crumbs on them sitting on the table behind them.

Everyone could've sworn they saw Ed's vein shoot right out of his head. His eye twitched and pulsed with anger.

"AAAARARGHGRHGAGRRRGHHHHAAAAA HHHH!"

~()~()~

"Don't you think the whole screaming was a little unneccessary?" Al asked, brushing his hair in the mirror.

Ed crossed his arms and let out a loud huffing sound. He sat down on the brown sheets of the hotel bed and the springs creaked in distress.

"…emwtev," Ed mumbled. It sounded a bit like 'whatever' so Al didn't pursue it any further. Al was getting used to getting embarassed and dealing with everyone's mood swings and tempers; he'd had everyone been staring at them from the odd groups little outbursts for the past few days.

Al briefly held his attention to the mask in Ed's lap and then continued his way to the bathroom to take a shower. Showers were such an amazing thing. The warm water washing down his skin, washing away nearly everything. So, Al took showers when he needed to clear his mind for a while, even if all he could focus on was T.M.K.

The creepy yet beautiful mask was what they called a transforming mask. According to Ilina, T.M.K. is the only one who yields the power to use the mask to change its form and also change its appearance. He wasn't exactly a shapeshifter like Envy was, but his mask held the ability to change appearance. But the demonic form of the mask was definitely its orignal form. Who knew what exactly that thing did?

In the other room, Greed lay bored on the bed, bouncing an apple up and down in the air. He'd been having a pleasant conversation with the man next to him. The man wore a casual brown suit and a matching clad 1910's hat. He described his business affairs and also of how he was stuck in Xing for at least 200 more years until someone unlocked the door.

Greed nodded and listened to this man. He had to be one of the most hilarious men dead. Oh…you thought this was an actual guy? Of course not! The man's name was Era and he was a businessman who was having a civil conversation with Greed.

"So tell me what you know about the phantom," Greed said, more casually rather than imperative.

"I don't know much about that guy," Era said, adjusting his hat on his transparent head. "But I know that you may want to watch out for those four newbies."

Those four newbies were referred to the young adults in the room across the hall.

Greed sat up and stopped tossing the apple. "Huh?"

"They seem to be like me…" Era said and then something in the distance caught his attention and he left before anything else could be used to question his vague answer.

"Wait! Ugh, don't go…" Greed huffed and looked around. _What exactly did that guy mean? Are they turning into ghosts too?_

But then again the guy wasn't human. Ghosts were one of the least sane creatures out there, right above homunculi.

Greed whistled and half laughed. "Man…that guy was deeper than a black hole."

Envy shot out of the bathroom with a towel cleaning out his ears. He was in his original form. "Who were you talking to?"

"A ghost."

"...Ah."

A sudden racket outside the door interrupted the words from flowing out of Envy's opened mouth. It sounded as though glass had gone through a tennis racket.

"Wrath!" Envy threw the towel down on the floor like an angry teenager. It hit the floor with a sonic echo.

"What is that kid up to now?" Greed raised an eyebrow and slowly pryed himself up off the angel-soft bed.

Envy flung the door open to see the window at the end of the hall open. He thought he saw the flash of something black out of the corner, but it was pitch black out of the square panel of glass and once Envy arrived to the window, there was nobody but some kids playing in the street below them.

"Definitely wasn't Wrath," Greed said, smirking behind Envy.

Envy growled and sauntered back to the room. That surprised Greed—he was being—odd. Envy _would've _and _should've _pursued the matter. But maybe he was for once learning something from hanging with the humans.

_Now I see what I'm doing wrong. I know what I want_… Greed inwardly sighed. _Now I see…now I see._

* * *

**A/N: Short-ish chapter! With some Greed angst at the end. I like to say angst like aaaaaaaannnnnggsst. :D haaha. He. He. He.**

**So…I know the ghost part at first was a little confusing. But that's good! :D I hope you're super confused and asking all sorts of questions! As far as Ling goes, this is his only chapter unless you want me to include him in more…even though I plan to plug him into much of the sequel—yes, sequel, but I need at least around fifty reviews by the end of this before all that!**

**So review! I really tried hard on this after so much grueling school! It'd be much appreciated! :)**


	10. Eruption

Just wanted to say, thanks for reviews! :) They are much appreciated. I hope you like this one! Don't forget to review at the end! **Warning:** long chapter :D

**-I DO NOT OWN FMA!-**

**Chapter 10: Eruption**

* * *

**~()~()~ September 15, Kiano, Xing ~()~()~**

Luki inspected the mask in his hands. He'd always had a knack for fixing things and destroying things, and then completely reuniting pieces all over again. T.M.K.'s mask was truly one of a kind; there was no indication that any piece could be successfully broken apart or put together. It was a real engineer's mystery.

The blue-eyed teen had been staring at the mask for three hours now. He hadn't had much sleep and it was well before anyone would be waking up. He decided it'd be best to try and apply some of his skills from engineering class and inspect the mask. So far, he'd made little progress.

Luki sighed and witheld the urge to chuck the mask across the room, which could wake Wyatt up who was sleeping on a nearby bed. He stared and stared some more. And quite frankly, got sick of it and started observing his writings:

_No known way to destroy this. The blacksmith obviously didn't know a whole lot about this piece, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is indestructible. Sure it must have an ancient power…that's a good way to explain why I can't figure out how this son of a gun can't be put together. Aliens, maybe? Nah that's crazy._

"Hmm…" Luki opened the beautifully carved Xingese desk drawer and found a pen. He was doing a bit of calculus, and pretty much every math formula out there.

Luki frowned deeply. "There has to be a formula…" he mumbled and began sighing again. He then decided it was impossible and threw the pen across the room without realizing it. Luki sweatdropped and slowly spun around to see Wyatt already up.

"Throwing's uncivilized," Wyatt said with a bored look and got up to go and get breakfast.

Quite some time passed after that. Luki blinked and spun back around in his chair at the mask staring back at him. Mocking, taunting, unnerving. The deep black eyes were endless, almost like you could fall right into the void of space. The teeth could easily make you feel like the prey of a vicious animal in the grasps of its excruciating bite. The face was like that of snakeskin, smooth yet easily poisonous. Yet, it was attractive, like that of finding your first love. The very mask could be images burned in your mind like fires. It could be love, death, happiness, and sadness. Any emotion you wanted it to be, and that's what could frighten one the most.

It took nearly all of Luki's willpower to look away. He had to break away from its dangerous hold and once he did he just stared, and stared. This was something to write down.

* * *

**~()~()~**

Ed scarfed down the last bite of his omelet and biscuit with a delectable glass of milk and was onto thirds.

"Brother!" Al pouted. "You ate the last one!"

Ed smiled proudly. "Hey, don't mind me if Xingese bread is so delicious!"

Al chuckled and got up to get some more juice into his now empty cup. Greed had walked into the room once he did so.

"Hey, anyone seen a ghost last night?" Greed asked, stretching his arms above his head and pretending to be tired.

Everyone blinked and shook their head. The lobby of the hotel suddenly felt very cold.

"Well," Greed said boredly. "Might as well keep an eye out for them then."

"G-ghosts?" Al asked, suddenly frightened.

"I haven't seen one all night don't worry," Greed said, sounding uncaring. "We're only staying here a few nights anyway, right?"

"If that," Ed said swallowing the last of his apple.

Al whimpered and Ed wrapped a shoulder around his shoulder. "I won't let them hurt you, Al." He proceeded to slightly glare at Greed who only shrugged.

A loud thump got the attention of the drowsy teens. Luki lay before them, awkwardly tripped over a trashcan and quickly got up without a hint of being bothered.

"Guys, I need you to look at this." Luki held up a slip of paper in his hand with a bundle wrapped snugly in the crook of his other arm.

Ed seemed more interested in eyeing the bundle than the paper and raised and eyebrow in interest.

Luki slapped his observations down on the table along with the bundle. Everyone gathered around. Wrath, unfortunately too short to see, was on the outside hopping up and down before finally huffing and sauntering off.

"This is the mask," Luki placed both hands on the bundle. "I would recommend not looking into its eyes."

That explained the wrapping. "What did you find out?" Ed asked, turning around the slip to read.

"When I happened to glance into its eyes, I found myself lost. It's hard to explain and it would take some time," Luki said, sputtering over his words. But everyone seemed to comprehend so he continued. "Long story short, it's not a good idea. I found something in there that doesn't belong in this world."

"So you mean aliens?" Camile asked giving him a disbelieving look. Bella only blushed and stared shyly up at him.

"I don't know," Luki mumbled. "Whatever it is it's not from here."

Envy flinched a little at what he remembered the other day with Camile and then quickly shook it off.

"I'm sorry if it's not that helpful," Luki said now looking at his feet. "I just thought it was interesting."

Ed looked up at him confidently. "No, this explains much more than the blacksmith did. Or at least adds onto it. Thank you very much Luki! We're now a small step closer!"

Luki only blushed bashfully and nodded. He wasn't used to such gratitude.

Some screams in the main lobby and a sudden rush of wind made everyone jump.

"Here we go again," Envy sighed.

"Oh what now…?" Wyatt said, clearly agitated. Luki stumbled trying to gather the artifact in his arms and shoved his writings into his pocket.

Ed got into a fighting stance. "Al and I will go check it out. Greed and Wyatt, search the hotel. Envy, Wrath, and Luki protect the girls!"

"I don't need protection!" Camile whined and held up a steel bat for proof.

Bella inwardly chuckled at the typical obscurity of Camile's bravery. Envy only rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist, which made the bat drop at her feet. Wrath got behind Camile and watched from all corners while Luki held Bella's hand and dragged her off to safety once again. Déjà vu.

* * *

"Don't you think we should go back to the rooms?" Bella asked, huffing and panting as she tried to keep up with the lanky boy.

Luki only quickly shook his head. "It's not safe right now."

He brought her into a nearby closet and locked the door. Oh the wonderful memories came flooding back, and it's so ironic what they did next.

Luki hugged Bella from behind and she nearly jumped twenty feet. She tried to make out words of protest, but the only sounds that came out were flustered and stuttered.

"L-Luki…um…"

Luki only smiled. He was about as nervous as she was but turned her back to face him so she wouldn't see. It was his turn to do something, his turn to be a big man.

He let his chin rest on her shoulder and his hand hovered over the lightswitch that promptly clicked off. Bella's heart was a thousand racehorses. Her face put tomatoes to pure shame.

Luki decided to gulp the big knot of nervousness that settled in his shaky throat and planted a gentle kiss on her neck. Yep, brings back the memories.

"I…care about you, Bella…" Luki murmered, shakiness evident in his voice.

Bella frowned. "You only have a crush on me, I know."

"Well…yeah," Luki said. "The whole reason I even got stuck here was because of you. I was just so blinded by my—feelings and that's how I ended up here…"

Bella's mind was pounding. "Why would you like someone like me?" she breathed.

Luki was clearly taken aback. "Whaat…! Why _not_?" He frowned, no longer nervous.

"Bella," Luki sighed. « I really like you…and the feelings get stronger and stronger every time I'm around you. I want this to turn into something more, but only if you'll let me. You're beautiful on the _inside_, and it shines through on the outside. _That's_ why I like you! Don't you see? I want to fall in love with you. I want to try this…"

Bella found the corners of her mouth creak upwards. The incessant silence made Luki sigh in defeat.

"You know what, Luki?" Bella asked, turning to face him even if she couldn't see in the dark closet.

Before he could respond, he found her warm and plush lips move over his like velvet. It was quick, passionate, a clear confirming of her feelings for him.

"…I want to try this too," Bella smiled and snuggled up in his chest. Luki smiled contently and held her tight, hoping the moment could never be broken apart.

Bella brushed a tickly hair out of her eyes only to have her fingers feel right through it. Bella let out an unintentional small gasp and Luki broke away from her, worried.

"What is it?" He asked, tugging on her shirtsleeves. Bella only shook her head.

_No, no. That's not possible. It's too weird…_

"Nothing…" Bella said uncertainly and snuggled closer to Luki. It took him a moment before he wrapped his arms around her again. But still, she couldn't shake the feeling of the breeze through her forehead. What _was_ that? Wait...she wasn't disappearing was she?

* * *

"This brings back memories!" Wyatt half laughed. Greed growled in annoyance and ran through the halls trying to gather his senses of everything. A movement, a subtle movement. Then he remembered.

Wyatt almost smacked clean into the wall as Greed made a sharp turn around a corner.

"Uh, hello! It's a dead end!"

Greed only shut him out and looked down at the streets below. He remembered last night.

"So the palm tree did see something," Greed smirked. Wyatt only gave a confused and annoyed look.

Wyatt made a clicking sound. "So let me guess, T.M.K. is here."

Greed smirked. "C'mon, kid. We're going outside."

**~()~()~**

"It's way too quiet…" Ed observed. His fist was as tight as it could get. He looked from corner to corner, crease to crease, no sign of anything unusual anywhere.

"I think this guy might be a little sneaky, brother."

Ed only hummed in agreement and continued scanning over nooks and crannies. His golden eyes narrowed in thought. A sudden movement broke away his train of thought. He was about to attack before he saw Greed and Wyatt hop out of the window on the second story. Ed nearly had a heart attack before he remembered that the hotel was U-shaped and hooked around an alleyway.

" #$$!%!" Ed heard a string of cuss words out of Greed's mouth as a small figure slipped out of Wyatt and Greed's grip like a slippery fish flopping around and escaping back into the water.

"Come on, Al. I think we found him." Ed and Al rushed over to the two men and watched as a shadow-like figure was escaping.

"We need to go after him!" Ed growled.

Greed scoffed. "Right, you do that. That's exactly what we tried to do. Little one's even more dangerous…"

"There's two of them?" Al asked and fidgeted a little bit. "We can't just keep letting them get away!"

"There's a distinct difference between the two," Wyatt butt in. "The small one that we almost got? He uses a form of martial arts and unlike T.M.K., we could see his eyes and they were bluer than the ocean."

Ed raised a brow and then nodded. "We need to go after them."

Greed lightly groaned and opened his mouth in protest.

"Look, Greed, we need to start going after these guys—"

An angry and feminine voice distracted Ed's ears. He whipped his head around to see the source.

"WHEN DON'T YOU LISTEN?! STUBBORN HUMAN GIRL!"

Ah. Envy. Ed sighed a little and blinked as Camile came running down the alleyway with a somewhat amused look on her face. Envy was chasing close behind with a plain annoyed look on his face.

"Did you _have_ to hit the owner?" Envy growled and glared at the blond next to him.

Camile only huffed and crossed her arms proudly.

"What happened?" Al asked, beaming and grinning.

"She knocked out the owner, thinking he was dangerous or something." Envy held his head and shook it in disbelief.

Camile looked up at the air. "Yes. Yes I did."

"Where's Wrath?" Greed said suddenly.

"I left him to take care of Bella and Luki…" Envy looked mildly disgusted. "Well, let's just say he threw up a little when he saw them in a closet."

"Way to go, Bella," Camile quietly praised.

"Wait until you hear this…" Wyatt said, changing the subject and popping up behind the corner of the building.

"You finally appreciate my genius?" Camile smirked.

Wyatt scoffed. "No…" he adjusted himself. "There's two T.M.K.s or at least the smaller one that Greed and I almost caught is a mini one."

"Oh, nice," Envy pouted. "More work for me…"

"And now they're probably halfway in another country!" Ed said, clearly read to pack some blows on these annoying villians.

"They're taunting us…" Wyatt said thoughtfully. Everyone eyed him curiously.

"Huh?"

Wyatt raised a brow. "Haven't you noticed? Wherever we go trying to go after them, they beat us to it. They are sending us on a goose chase after them, and I have a feeling this won't end well if we keep it up."

Everyone pondered this idea for a moment. Greed gave Wyatt a slap on the back. "Nice thinking, kid."

"Let's go!" Ed said, running ahead down the direction that the mini T.M.K. went without anymore. He was sick and tired of waiting. This was dragging on way too long.

The running had lasted a while, and it seemed they were getting nowhere fast. That is, until the very black clad figures had appeared once again and were swinging from building to building. He was clearly taunting them, leading them somewhere and Ed decided that he would follow them for the meantime, and would outsmart them later.

The real T.M.K. and the mini T.M.K led them to the edge of the town and the edge of the town just so happened to be on the edge of a long ravine surrounded by cliffs and a valley of orange. A signature volcano outlined the distance with many more sandy orange mountains of Xing. T.M.K and his subordinate had been leading them back west; near the desert region. But why? It didn't make sense to loop around.

Wrath came running shortly after with Luki and Bella following behind. Wrath came to a stop at the edge sharply. His feet scuffed some rocks across the edge and down at least fifty yards.

"Wrath, can you, Envy, and Greed follow that larger black blob going down the left?" Ed asked, pointing to the very two figures splitting ways faster than light down the two separate paths of the valley below them.

Wrath nodded and went without another word with Greed and Envy down the left path of the valley. They made a shaky sound as they jumped down the edge like a cat, but of course it left no mark on them and they were soon as tiny as hands from the visual eye.

"I'll let them get a headstart so I can better confuse T.M.K," Ed said. Adrenaline was prematurely pumping through his veins. "You guys go after the smaller one, okay?"

"Right!" The four said in unison and all made their way carefully down the path that Ed used his alchemy to create. Once they were down the little ramp, they began rushing after the villian.

The four began running as fast as they could, careful not to run out of energy too quickly, which was difficult to do. Luki and Bella weren't very sport-oriented whereas Wyatt had ran cross country and knew proper running techniques and Camile had played soccer most of her life.

This soon became an issue and Wyatt tried to create a wind tunnel behind the two to try and help move them faster. It only worked for a few more minutes before his alchemy started to wear thin.

"We need to rest—"

"Hey what's that!" Camile asked and pointed down a separate crossroad.

"Great, just great," Wyatt said, lifting himself back up off of the rocky seat.

"Well," Bella said. "One thing to do. And that's to split up."

"Yay." Camile rolled her eyes and made her way closer to the edge of the valley crossroads.

"We all know in movies that left is the best way to go," Bella said and smirked at Camile.

Camile frowned. "I get the dangerous path? Ah gee thanks Bell."

"But the two of you have powers!" Bella said and pointed both hands at a blinking Wyatt and Camile.

"Hmmm, good point."

"We can rest later, it's best not to lose him now…" Wyatt said and made his way slowly down the right path.

Luki and Bella nodded in agreement and soon were out of sight. Whichever path was the right one, or whichever one was safer was a fifty-fifty chance and that sent shivers up their spines.

Camile shoved the rising human fear creeping its way up to her head. She wouldn't allow it to poison her. Besides, she had a clear advantage to the others; she could freeze most anything thanks to Dante and her crazy experiments. At first Camile had thought that the 'research' was some sort of needle in a lab, or military camp, but it turned out to be nothing more than how to use her powers. Of course Camile was smart and she was used to the kind of manipulation Dante pulled, and for that she could never trust that lady.

Envy was actually—tolerable the minute she came to the homunculi's mansion. Well, at least, in his own way, when he wasn't trying to interrogate her. Like when she accidentally took one of his shorts to wear for bed (thinking they were Lust's or something to borrow) and he nearly killed her with nearby silverware. So, he did have a temper and Camile did bring it out, but it was sure as heck funny to see him get angry. Camile knew when to back away, although she noticed he could never actually _hurt_ her at least, not from his own free will at first, Dante prevented that. But as they got used to each other for the past few weeks, Camile realized he didn't _want_ to hurt her, he found too much enjoyment in teasing her instead. That surprised the blond, she figured the moment he found out she was human that he would kill her for lying to him, but he didn't. He _didn't_, and that was incredibly perplexing.

Instead, he took her to _his_ room and tried to—seduce her? If Camile could have one superpower, it would be to read his mind voluntarily. But still, she was glad for the friendship that they had developed. Not only that but he _worried_ when she ran off by herself, like recently when she was trying to do things herself at the hotel in town. And he _worried_ when she would be quiet, like when she was homesick for Chicago one night when she was still staying at the mansion. He interrogated her until she answered and she replied with a simple 'homesick' and then he ran off somewhere to do whatever it is Envys do.

Another thought bubbled in her mind—home. That reminded her. Was time frozen still back in their world or was it still going on? Were people searching for them? Camile knew Wyatt's aunt and uncle, who were Bella's parents; they would do anything in their power and wealth to find them. Unlike her, she had no one that truly cared to do that. Yeah, there was her foster parents, good ol' typical loose parent type of people. They would just figure she was on a field trip for college or something. And then there was her dad, who obviously didn't give a crap.

Camile sighed deeply, briefly coming back to reality and staring at the neverending display of rocky mountains. Her _dad_, her _old man_, her _papa_. Was that the word? What did that word mean? What about those father-daughter dances she never could go to? Well, that would never happen. She adverted her sight to Wyatt who was about two feet in front of her. He lost his parents in a sailing accident when he was only three…so who was she to judge? Camile never really thought about this until just now. _He was alone too…_

Her mom went through a time where she lost everything of her own—an immigrant of Germany and she found solace in drinking and meth. At this time her parents had gotten a divorce, her _good ol' dad_ had cheated with several women, accused of rape, and currently in jail for the next four years until he was free. Camile shuddered. He should not be free so soon. It was five years since the divorce and her mother's death. Camile didn't know what to think at first, of course methamphetamine would cause death, of course it would. But her mother was so passive, so lost, half of the time she didn't even know who or where she was or if her daughter was in the room. That's what frustrated Camile. She should've cried when her mother died, she should've felt empty, and frankly she was. It was a two-way street of apathy. You give me nothing; I'll give you nothing.

Her deep-set, dark hazel eyes focused ahead of her. The wind blew through her skin and left the oh-so familiar stinging sensation of tears forming in her eyes. Camile promised herself to be happy in high school, to get involved with soccer, and she was very good at it, to have lots of friends, to get good grades, and be involved with student council. She liked being independent, a leader.

"Hey you okay?"

Camile looked startled at first and then looked at Wyatt who turned his head ever so slightly to look over his shoulder at her. Camile's face was pink and blotchy from crying. She didn't even realize she was.

"Yeah…" Camile said. Her voice was hoarse but managed to make it sound strong and convincing.

Wyatt only frowned before continuing down the path. So, maybe he wasn't so bad. When they weren't always fighting and teasing each other, he could have a big heart.

The two made their way near a small pond surrounding by scattered greenery. It was odd to see any sort of sparse forest in the Utah-looking valley of Xing. But it did cover as a good protection, or danger, depending on the cirumstances.

"What time is it?" Camile asked, bending over to take off her shoe. Her feet were starting to get scuffed with scraped from the unfriendly trail.

Wyatt looked down at his watch and sat down on a similar rock seat as Camile's. "A little after three," he replied. Five hours had gone by.

Camile hummed and bent over to cup some water in her hands. She poured the cool water over cut feet to wash away the dirt.

"I have a bad feeling…" Wyatt sighed, unknowing and uncaring if Camile would notice his statement.

Camile did. She only blinked at him.

"Think the little chubacabra is around here somewhere?" Camile asked in monotone, pushing a strand of golden, dark blond hair behind her ear.

"It would make sense," Wyatt said, a finger playing with his pursed lips. He looked around at the somewhat dense forestry behind him. Xing was sure an odd place. Desert had met them not three minutes ago and now a new neighbor of green was at their door.

Camile soon got hot and took off her ripped white t-shirt to reveal a tan-colored tank top. She put it in the dark red backpack Wyatt had grabbed at the last moment back in the hotel. Wyatt eyed her curiously and blinked at her. Camile noticed after a while and gave him a weird look.

"What?" she frowned.

"…Nothing."

Camile blew it off and got up after she cleaned up her feet and put her shoes back on. They had turned from a white to a dusty brown in no time. Her feet were raw and somewhat sore from the cuts, but they felt ten times better since cleaning the dirt off. It was amazing what it could do.

Camile absentmindedly put her hands on her hips. "Think we should go through?"

"More like around," Wyatt mumbled. "I just don't trust going in…"

"Ok." Camile shrugged and got up to make her way around the slanted path around the forest. Wyatt followed close behind. His stomach was starting to growl but he didn't feel like digging through his backpack. So he ignored it.

Around the corner of the forest was completely unexpected. It was a campsite in an empty circle of sandy floor surrounding by the rest of the valley. They had traveled closer to the dormant volcano than anticipated, because not a mile away was Mt. Shenzao. Sparse greenery surrounded the walls of the valley and aligned the campsite. Clad camoflauged tan and green tents were set up in a militaristic manner. There were only a few bodies, _human_ bodies, walking around guarding the distant perimeter.

"Oh great, we found the campsite," Wyatt breathed and dragged Camile by the wrist to crouch down and hide behind a large boulder.

Camile sighed in annoyance. "What now?"

"This is both a good thing and a bad thing," Wyatt mused aloud. "Bad thing, we are clearly outnumbered. Good thing, they may or may not be related with T.M.K."

Camile slowly raised her head to see a row of men aligning the camp. They were slender, muscular, and wore dark black cargo suits. Typical military. Not typical Amestris military. In fact they didn't even look Xingese, they looked like they could easily be from Aerugo or Drachma or at least a mix of the two. They had large guns, typical guns.

Camile's heart nearly flew out of her chest and she almost squealed as a figure appeared in front of her. She stood frozen for a second and then realized the man's back was to her. Wyatt quickly caught on and didn't even have to see for himself to realize what was going on. He dragged her back down to their snug position behind the rock.

The soldier slowly turned around. He scanned around a bit and faced near the entrance by the boulder. The two teen's breathing increased rapidly, not knowing what was going to happen. The man was _right there_, his feet were right by theirs.

Camile slowly got up and hit him with her fist as hard as she could behind the head and the man promptly fell face first in the dirt. Wyatt attempted to use his alchemy to drag the man's unconscious body closer out of sight.

It didn't work very well. A string of shouts in an unfamiliar language was coming closer and closer.

"…Larry?" the voice called out. So the guy's name was Larry. They knocked Larry out and soon Larry's friend was going to be very angry.

Wyatt stared down at his sweaty tan skin. He had to think of something and something fast. If they ran, well they could easily be caught or shot. If they went in, well duh! Of course that's not a good idea. Sneaking in? Much, much more difficult. What could he do? Wait until all the men came rushing by the rock and knock them out one by one behind the rock? Maybe, but it was questionable.

Before he could even breathe another breath, Camile was already on her feet shooting dangerous shards of ice from the pond at the charging men. Their bullets were soon turned to little ice pellets falling to the ground at the soldier's feet.

Wyatt blinked a bit. Everything was happening so fast.

"Don't just sit there! Help me!"

Wyatt shot up from the ground quickly and both began running straight into the campsite. It was quite an impromptu action. Then again, Camile was an impromptu person. Wyatt slightly chuckled at this and then focused on staying alive. The soldiers were good, but not impossible. There weren't a lot of them…so far.

The fighting lasted a little while longer. A soldier had gotten a little too close to Camile for comfort and she felt a sharp pain in her side, but forced herself to ignore it for the time being. She was just waiting for something worse to happen, she was waiting for the subordinate or worse—T.M.K. himself to come out and end everything. It would be easier as well if the soldiers would run out. But it seemed they just kept coming. There were several more coming from somewhere, but neither one of them had the time to figure out where.

"We're outnumbered," Wyatt said; back pushing against Camile's as he nearly dodged a roundkick to his jaw.

Camile didn't respond, she was easily becoming winded by the lack of water usage for her ice powers on the quantity of soldiers coming at her.

"Wyatt, we have to go now!" Camile shrieked, dodging several blows near her abdomen. Her back was facing the air and she flung around to see Wyatt knocked out clean on the ground.

This made Camile angry. She dodged some more kicks and grabbed a nearby sword. Without much thought she cut clean through the mid-section of one soldier and it went through the remaining four that were in a line around them. She never killed anyone before and she became shaky at the pool of blood forming around the lacerated bodies. Camile forced herself to be reasonable—this was self-defense, it could be justified, not a crime. The thought relaxed her muscles slightly and the sharp pain in her side became throbbing.

"Oh come on, Wyatt!" Camile said, bending down and placing her hands on either side of his shoulders. "You're too heavy to pick up!"

It was true, Camile was tiny compared to Wyatt, even if she was taller, he weighed twenty pounds more and that was a lot of muscle.

The coast was clear from soldiers for the meanwhile, until bullets were heard from a distance. Camile used all of her strength to perservere and carry slash drag Wyatt around the treeline and up the slanted path back to safety. Instead of heading back the way they came, she went to the left around a more narrow valley path.

She forced herself to speed up, she had to get them to safety. The bullets could still be heard. And one of them must've been a pretty good shot because next thing she knew, a shooting pain whizzed through her arm and knee.

Camile collapsed in pain, careful not to harm Wyatt's sleeping body. Her left arm had been hit but it was merely grazed. Her right knee was what was really killing her. The bullet had vibrated through to her very bone and fell out once she got going again. She had to get out of the open.

She ran and ran, not even knowing if the blood gushing out of her leg, arm, and side would do much other than cause pain. Or was it the wind rushing through the holes? She couldn't tell.

Camile saw familiar figures looking at her in shock by the tall wall of a mountain. It was Ed, Al, Luki, Wrath and Bella. The other two homunculi were off farther away, coming closer into view, but still quite some distance away.

Camile got to her friends feet just in time, for when she did, she dropped Wyatt's body and collapsed on her back. Everyone gasped and gathered around both of them. It was even more frightening for Camile, for when she fell to the ground, a good amount of blood seeped down her mouth and stained the rocky terrain.

"Camile!" Bella shrieked, bending down near her friend and holding on to her hand. "What happened?"

"T.M.K.'s camp," Camile replied through gritted teeth. "He has soldiers…one…knocked out Wyatt."

Luki crouched down and inspected Wyatt. His head had a knot on it that would result in a nasty bruise.

"You're bleeding!" Bella exclaimed, staring at the holes in her arm and knee. Wrath got down next to his 'sister' and gently gripped her other hand. He whimpered at the sight. Camile winced in pain and let go of Wrath's hand to grab at the blood seeping through her right rib.

"I know," Camile weakly smiled. Bella continued to inspect both her arm and knee, which only made Camile shoot up and cry out in pain.

"OW!" Camile half shouted. "Do you have to poke it?"

"Where's the bullet?" Bella said frantically.

Camile sighed and fell back on her elbows in pain. "The one in my knee fell out in the field when I was running."

"She doesn't seem to have one in her arm," Wrath mused. He was so gentle inspecting her arm that Camile barely noticed him there.

"!...We shouldn't have split up!" Camile turned her head around to see Envy a few front in front of her. He was dripping with anger. She had never seen him so angry before, it was a dangerous anger. Something that just standing near him, eyes closed or not, could pierce through you.

"What happened?" Envy demanded, sitting down in front of her. His malicious spark did not fade. Ed, Al, and Greed stood behind her awkwardly.

"T.M.K…" Camile breathed. "He wasn't…there. His soldiers were, clearly not Xingese. In fact…oww…sorry—" Camile weakly smiled. Envy only blinked.

"Anyway," Camile continued. "They weren't any military I think we are used to seeing anywhere…"

"Who did this to you? The soldiers?" Envy hissed demandingly. There was only a very tiny lace of worry in his voice, only if you paid close attention.

Camile nodded. "T…they…" That's when the world went black. Camile leaned all the way back so that her back and head were now on the ground and relaxed her legs, she couldn't feel anything anymore.

"C-Camile?" Envy sputtered, trying not to let himself get too worried.

Bella promptly placed two fingers on Camile's neck. There was still a pulse, she only fainted.

Bella's eyes widened. "She's lost a lot of blood. We need to go back now."

"Them…" Envy said, getting up from the ground and facing the gaping direction that Camile came from.

"Envy?" Ed asked suddenly. If Envy was pissed or dangerous before, now he was completely psychopathic.

"They will pay…" and with that Envy was gone.

* * *

**A/N: WOO! REVENGE! YEAH!** :D You didn't actually believe he'd let some lame soldiers go and shoot his lady friend did ya? Well, he finally used her name. For once. That's a start.

Chapter 11 will be a little shorter, which is good because I am sick right now D: and I hope it won't get in the way. But if I do get sick enough to miss school (which is hard to do, I hardly ever get sick), I'll sneak on to write something. ;) Bye bye and leave some R&R loves~!


	11. Nothing's Impossible

**Warning**: short-ish chapter!

After a week of feeling purely like crap my mother finally decided that I needed to go to the doctor Thursday at 4:50. I have acute sinusitis, acute pharyngitis, and a slight fever. After that diagnosis I am on some hefty drugs and have two more days of it. Strangely enough, I JUST had a SEVERE sinus infection the whole month of May, so this is all very strange. I hardly ever get sick and on rare occasion I do, I'm out for a week. -_- But I feel much better now!

Here's another weekly chapter as promised.

**::I DO NOT OWN FMA::**

**Chapter 11: Nothing's Impossible**

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**~()~()~ September 15, evening ~()~()~**

_"Mommy why can't you stay?" a young three-year-old Bella was staring up at her gorgeous dark blond mother, tugging at her pearly satin dress._

_Mrs. Regan, or Hisalia as she was called by fellow acquaintances, merely smiled. She had perfect teeth, perfect hair, and perfect skin. Perfect everything. She was the stereotypical rich wife except without the haughtiness. People thought of her as the strongest woman they've ever had the privilege of meeting. Of course Bella just thought of her as a goddess, a shining example of the perfect woman of society._

"_Bellatrix," Hisalia chimed in her motherly tone. "Mommy and Daddy must go for our jobs. We'll be back in four weeks, okay?"_

_Bella couldn't yet count four weeks on her fingers. Four weeks and Christmas would be over. Four weeks and a new year would be here. Four weeks and Bella would turn four._

_This meant…they would be gone for her birthday. Her _special_ birthday; January the fourth. Bella felt like crying, but she bit her small lips and bit back the tears._

"_Bellatrix," Hisalia bent down, now eye level with her big brown-eyed daughter. Strangely enough, Bella resembled neither of her parents. Both of them had blond hair and blue eyes, and Bella acquired the recessive gene. She even went as far as questioning if she was adopted, but all other paperwork proved she was indeed blood._

"_Hush now, baby," Hisalia wrapped her thin arms around the soft child, humming softly, rocking her child frame back and forth. _

"_What's all the fuss, Hisalia?" Mr. Winston Regan the corporate CEO of the largest department store in Chicago was making his way across the ballroom, half-full wine glass in hand._

_The ballroom had receded its population, many other rich executives were past tired and some were leaving the stiffly formal Christmas party. All but a few hoity-toity adults stuck around, laughing like bustling hyenas that filled the air, all the while full with the paraplegic red liquid._

_Hisalia briefly looked up at her dear husband. He was standing tall, shoe-lifts in place to hide his height, yet his wife was still taller than he was. "She is having a hard time accepting our little vacation." Hisalia pursed her lips, as though she had been asked a difficult, rhetoric question._

"_Mommy, Daddy, I just want you to be here for my birthday," Bella half whined, there were tears laced throughout her hoarsening voice. _

_Hisalia and Winston stared at each other and sighed. Winston set his now empty wine glass on the round table next to his leg. He squatted down, careful not to get any hostile speck of dirt on his tidy white suit._

"_We love you Bellatrix, and we'll be sure to give you the best gift in the world."_

Bella was on her bed back in the hotel. She was staring at the golden locket Camile gave her and thought about what gift _they_ gave her. A beautifully carved white doll from India. Bella moved its arm once, just once, and as gentle as a four-year-old could get anyway. It snapped right off. It supposedly cost her dear parents four hundred American dollars. That was near nothing to them, but could feed a whole family for a long time at the part of India they were in at the time.

Bella sighed. She was not nearly as excited, as a four-year-old would be over that doll. That _damned_ doll. She remembered being babysat by her aunt and uncle along with Wyatt accompanying her. The box was wrapped in white; it seemed to be a recurring color scheme for Mr. and Mrs. Regan, and with a golden bow. Fancy. She remembered the fake joy on her cousin's parent's faces when they handed her that box. Pathetic, really. And they knew. They knew what Bella wanted most for her birthday, and her fifth birthday, and sixth, and seventh, and every birthday following.

The brunette slightly smiled. She had a song in her head. _'You And Me'_ by Lifehouse. It reminded her of the sparse good times with her parents. There was a knock on Bella's door, registering her back to reality.

"Come in."

Luki popped his head through the door with a slightly worried look on his face, Bella noted. But then again, he _always_ looked slightly worried. "Hey."

"Hey," Bella said back, frowning at the cloudiness in his voice. Maybe he was having a bad day too.

Luki took a good look at her, shutting the door behind him. He saw the bed and shoved the blush creeping its way up to flaming his face. He shut himself up, scolding himself for such thoughts. That was so junior high.

"Do you need something?" Bella asked casually.

Luki inched closer and closer _very_ slowly. And by very, well a snail probably looked like a roadrunner compared to him at the moment.

"I'm having trouble sleeping…and eating," Luki mumbled.

Bella nodded. "You…can come here, you know."

Luki looked down at his feet and made a silent 'O' shape with his mouth. His feet got the movement flowing through them again and he made his way awkwardly sitting on the edge of the bed, now suddenly entranced with her feet rather than her face.

Bella frowned at this and fortunate it went unnoticed. She soon shook it off and decided to break the silence…hopefully.

"I can't sleep either," Bella said calmly. When had she been calm? What was he doing to her?

Luki made a humming sound, not retreating his gaze from the now interesting carpet.

"I was just thinking about my parents…" Bella said quietly.

Luki shot his head around, staring now. He blinked at her. Bella was never the kind of girl to share her feelings. Ever since high school and college he always saw her as a girl that never cared what other people thought and certainly never talked about anything relevant to her home life.

"At least you have parents," Luki tried not to stumble over the last word, but it was hard.

Lucky for him, Bella wasn't that observant. "What do you mean?"

Luki sighed before sitting completely on the bed. "You have loving parents that have a lot of money. What more could you want?"

"You have a loving dad," Bella pouted. She crossed her arms thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I know. It just seems he's too overprotective."

"At least he sticks around. I never see mine," Bella went quiet for a moment before continuing. Luki was listening intently, a slight blush dusted across his cheeks.

"They have so much money. It's not like I'm ungrateful, I just wanted to be—live a little more simplistic." Bella looked over at him and drew in a deep breath. "I'm not rambling are I?"

"No, continue," Luki smiled politely.

"They want me to be a lawyer. History has always been _my_ _thing_, you know? I always knew so much more than the average person, including law process and the works. Well, my parents only want me to do it for the money. I don't. In fact I want to become a nurse…"

Luki blinked. "Then why didn't you stand up to them?" Luki bit his tongue after that. He was starting to sound hypocritical. His father always told him what to do and how to do it and he never had the hoo-ha's to speak for himself.

"I tried," Bella said, not realizing the small spite in Luki's voice. "But I just can't find the words to say it to them. Doesn't matter much now does it?" she said slowly, gesturing to the sky, which related to the parallel universe of their own that they were in.

"I can't tell what's worse. Overprotective or not there," Luki shrugged.

"Pick your poison I guess," Bella sighed, propping herself up to sit cross-legged on the bed.

_February 15th, 1997._

_Wyatt made his way down the red carpet. His black tux was collecting dust particles from the church. His tiny hands were enlaced with his aunt Hisalia's. She was dotting her wet eyes with a tissue in the other. Wyatt didn't really understand why everyone around was dressed in black or why it was such a big deal._

_Wyatt was brought down to the very front pew. The organs were playing a solemn tune and Wyatt swung his legs back and forth boredly. The priest had walked up to the pulpit and said a long, monotonous speech. Wyatt stared around, trying his best to wrap his mind around the deep words._

_Aunt Hisalia was nudging Wyatt in the side slightly. He looked up at her but she was merely staring ahead at the priest, wiping away more wet drops. Wyatt looked ahead at the various displays of stainglass windows._

_Aunt Hisalia had tapped him on the shoulder, rendering Wyatt free from the snarling pew. The priest gave him a small smile and gestured him to the pulpit with him. Wyatt had to stop in front of the two coffins, open, and with the sleeping faces of his parents. Their portraits from Christmas were sitting pretty on two adjacent tables on either side of the coffins. The smells of orchids were sickeningly sweet…_

"We need this to go one way or the other…" Ed said, stopping in front of the coffee table. He had been pacing all night trying to think of what to do next. It was like military tactics, one wrong move and your ship was sunk.

Wyatt was tired enough to sleep right on the floor. He and Ed had been trying to figure out what to do and frankly, Wyatt was sick of it. Al had left a little while earlier for bed and Wyatt envied him. It was only two hours since he woke up from the head injury and he was, oddly, drained from energy.

"Do you have any ideas?" Wyatt opened his eyes and set down his fist from supporting his tired face.

"Like I said," Wyatt started. "Ishval is what they seem to be pointing us to."

Ed pondered this for a moment. "That would explain today's turn of events."

"It's too dangerous to stay here."

"You're right. After you nearly getting a concussion and Camile getting shot we need to leave. Now." Ed went up to go wake up Al and tell him the news.

* * *

Camile was lying on her bed trying to clench her teeth shut, thinking that would help the pain in her leg. Her rib and arm stopped hurting by the time she woke up several hours ago and she was bleeding through her stitches and passed out again. Once she woke up a few moments ago she had her stitches in again and thicker bandages.

She heard the doorknob rattling and a certain string of spiky green hair poked through the doorway.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Envy flinched a little. She looked awful. She was so pale. She was so—human.

"You woke up," Envy mused.

Camile forced a slight smirk. "Yep. I wish my knee would stop hurting."

"The doctor came a while ago…"

"And I'm going to live aren't I?" Camile forced a tiny joke, laughing.

Envy just blinked. It wasn't so funny to him. "The bullet ricocheted off your kneecap."

Camile's expression dropped. "Oh."

"You know, you should be more careful!" Envy growled, making a fist. He had trouble hiding the hidden motherly tone in his voice. "Now you're going to have knee problems stupid human!"

"You're the one who went and killed the whole damn campsite!" Camile gave him a stumped look.

Envy looked mildly prideful. "They would've come and killed the rest of you humans if I hadn't."

Camile took a deep breath trying to restrain her frustration with the homunculus. "…Did you find anything useful?" she said, trying to split the tension by changing the subject.

"I thought I saw that little idiot," Envy growled. "But he was fast, even for me."

Camile adjusted her head on the pillow and sunk down into the soft sheets.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to sleep," Camile replied incredulously. "As you can see I can't really walk right now."

All was quiet for a few more moments and Camile thought she could finally get some rest, but all in vain, Envy stood in a stupor for a while, staring at her.

"…You should stop hurting yourself."

Camile inwardly sighed. So typical for him to be up while she was trying to sleep. Well, her and Wrath used to nag him while he was trying to sleep when Camile was staying at the mansion a few weeks ago, so all was even.

"Hmmm…"

"…I'm glad you're okay." Camile felt a sudden rush of air and she opened her eyes. Envy was gone and the door was closed again. She had a blanket over her unexpectedly.

_Did he just really say that? _Camile slapped her head.

"Duh! Of course not!"

_He likes you~!_

Wrath's words kept playing in her head over and over.

_He likes you he likes you!_

Camile couldn't help the small, disbelieving smile stitched on her face as she fell asleep.

**~()~()~ morning ~()~()~**

Ed and Al let out a frightened and slightly girly scream as THE SCAR himself was making his way toward him.

"Sir! You need to check in first!"

Scar shot the woman a dangerous look and she quickly took steps back towards the front desk.

"You got a bad reputation since you're going after this villian."

Ed and Al clung onto each other and took a few more steps back. "You're not going to kill us are you?" Al cried. Last time they encountered Scar, he was merciless in fending off the alchemists.

Scar turned his attention to Al with a blank look. "You got your body back I see," he said indifferently.

Ed wiped his sweaty palms quickly on his shirt and stood up tall. "How did you find us?"

Scar yawned. "You're pretty famous, kid. Most of Amestris has news of you going after the guy since that idiot guy named Hughes made news of it."

Oh was Ed going to have a word with Hughes when he got back. "And what do you want with me?"

Scar made an incredulous snicker. "You're sure an idiot to go after him. You may _think _you kids can get information off him, but you have no idea what you're getting into."

Ed gestured to the seat, still keeping his guard up. "Tell us more."

"Where are your friends anyway?" Scar looked around, taking a seat at the table that looked way too tiny for him.

"Still sleeping. I plan on leaving later this morning for the desert region."

"Then I'm coming with."

Ed flinched. "Ugh," he sighed. He wagged a finger at him. "Only if you tell us about the T.M.K.s first!"

"Big one had powers that vary. Little one can shapeshift- sort of like the homunculus traveling with you," Scar said, sipping on the untouched glass of tea in front of him.

"Are you stalking us?" Ed yelled. Al sweatdropped and backed away.

Scar set down his teacup calmly. "Just to keep an eye on you. This world is a battlefield and you're taking on life's biggest challenge yet."

"Okay," Ed finally settled. "You can come with us. We could use help anyway."

Scar made a winning snicker and continued to sip on his tea.

"Good."

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! Scar! The reason Ed is so frightened of him is because the last time they had seen each other was when Ed and Al were rummaging through Ishval and Scar yelled at them. Like the go-getter Ed is, he told him to 'fly' off (we all know what word he really used) and that's when Scar got angry for them tampering with his hometown and yeah.

**FMAsushi96**: 'Tis true, 'tis true. It should get more exciting. Thanks! :)

**Guest:** I know! I'm trying! D: don't worry you shalln't be disappointed much longer!

**Ishmael:** haha yes they are. :) Thanks!

**alchemy's homunculi**: YOU KNOW IT! :D

**FMAlover 555 I really like that: **Sooo glad you like it! Like I told someone else, the oc's are going to have more little tidbits and we shall see more sides to them in the sequel. _JUICY_ sides! :D but that's a different story, I am not working on the sequel until I have enough fans. But thanks!

**Thanks for reviews and don't forget to leave some more! I'll give you chocolate, puppies, kitties, and rainbow ninja unicorn moneybags! :O **


	12. Mind Your Mouth

Sorry, sorry, so late I know! *dies* D:

But here's another chapter! Don't kill me! *hides behind Envy*

**Iamthewaldo: **first of all, LOVE your username! Haha anyway, yes I will include lots of backround info in the last few chapters. :)

**Ishmael**: THANKS!

**alchemy's homunculi**: Oh they will soon don't you worry. Heehee.

**Kashagal and Natures Ruler:** It's a vampire! :F

Thanks for the reviews! We're halfway through the story until the sequel! :D

Tuesday, October 2 is my birthday so here is my birthday present to you guys! :)

* * *

**Chapter 12: Mind Your Mouth**

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**~()~()~ September 16, morning ~()~()~**

Camile woke up to fresh bandages and two nicely decorated presents on her lap. One was a cheap, red paper wrapping the other an equally cheap green. They were both the same size.

Bella. Wyatt. Camile smiled to herself. They remembered her nineteenth birthday.

She opened Bella's red gift first. A beautiful silver watch that she had been eyeing in one of the stores in Xing. Now she knew what time it would be.

Wyatt's green present was next. It was an old photo of them in middle school. Camile thought the photo had washed away in the river when they were younger, but apparently her favorite photo had survived unscathed.

She laid her head back on the pillows but shot up as something solid collided with her sore shoulder blades.

It was another gift, larger than the previous two. Purple, her favorite color, and wrapped in a rather crappy fashion. She opened it up to see a gorgeous new shirt just waiting to be worn. Just as she lifted the shirt up to see it would fit perfectly, a note fell out of the box.

_Camile,_

_So, I guess I owe you since we never got to get you new clothes. So here you go. I hope they fit. Then again, you're pretty skinny so I'm sure that won't be an issue. Happy birthday._

_-Envy_

Camile was in genuine shock. She placed the note back inside the box but didn't realize more articles of clothing folded neatly inside of the box. A somewhat dressy black dress, some leggings, a pair of military green shorts, a pair of matching shirts of violet and red, and one pair of traveling boots.

"So he remembered," Camile mused quietly, slightly scoffing. "Maybe he does have a heart after all."

* * *

**~()~()~ September 23 ~()~()~**

The slight shaking of the train on the tracks was the only sound splitting through the air for quite some time.

Ed and Al nervously avoided eye contact with the Ishvalan for quite some time.

Scar read their mind. "If you have questions, you can ask me. This is my last nicest offer."

"Oh," Ed cleared his throat. "Tell me what you know about T.M.K.?"

"I can't believe how confident you kids are," Scar shook his head. "Anyway, he's just not what you'd expect. All these theories you have about him are right, but they're also wrong. Let's put it that way."

The confusion grew as the silence increased. "So he's _everything_?"

"In a way, yes."

Al became scared. T.M.K. was everything. He was a phantom, a ghost, an alien, a human, inhuman, a monster, anything and everything.

"Well have you seen the younger one?"

"That one? He's simple," Scar retorted. "He's just a young shapeshifter, like that homunculus over there." He pointed his head in the direction of Envy.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "So he's a homunculus?"

"No," Scar replied plainly. "Homunculi usually don't have blue eyes. The boy is just a shapeshifter; he doesn't age because he was cursed long ago. That's all I can tell you."

The mysterious Ishvalan giving little information was almost shattering to the Elrics. They needed answers soon. They were headed toward Aerugo, knowing full well they were headed right towards the enemy. They needed something.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bella asked Camile. Camile was incredibly pale in her face.

"Yeah," Camile sighed, eyeing her knee.

"Okay…" Bella said uncertainly.

Camile bit her lip and sighed. The pain had subsided but the lack of skin covering the bullet wound left her feeling sick. The new skin forming wasn't pretty to look at so she had someone else with a strong stomach to put on new bandages for her. The bullet had hit her kneecap and, boy, did she believe that. At first, Camile thought Envy was lying.

But the doctor confirmed it. Her kneecap had been permanently weakened and she would need a metal screw in her knee to prevent problems.

She got back from wobbling to the bathroom, running into Envy on the way.

"Move," Envy sighed.

Camile glared. "I'm trying."

Envy shook his head and tried slipping past her in the narrow aisle.

"Hey Envy?" Camile said quickly.

"Yes?"

"Thanks…for remembering my birthday."

Envy gave her a very weird look for what seemed forever. He made a clicking sound and nearly ran into the bathroom.

"Do you think we can afford going to Aerugo with me like this?" Camile asked, changing her attention to her friend and sitting down.

Bella gave her a weird look. "I don't think we have a choice."

"I didn't mean it like that…"

"I know," Bella replied. "Doc said you should be fine by Monday…don't worry."

Camile forced a smile and rested her head on the seat before they arrived a town near the border of the desert region and Aerugo. The town was split in two sides.

The military didn't need to know that Ed was a State Alchemist, so they acted as discreet as possible. One wrong move and they could be thrown in the cell.

That was just one issue out of about five hundred. Another one was T.M.K. and then his little buddy; a shapeshifter…like Envy. Quite unsettling, considering the little demon could be anything and anywhere.

The group all got settled in a small town near the border of Aerugo. The more small towns the better. Especially in Aerugo.

Realizing how thin everyone was getting, they figured it wouldn't hurt to get some food with money everyone 'borrowed'.

Wyatt went down the road to the market. His shoes were getting worn and filthy. It was still near the desert region enough to be called desert.

Military personnel were everywhere. It was near five o'clock so they had a right to be. By dark they should begin to leave back into the main cities.

Wyatt swallowed a lump in his throat. With his somewhat natural tanned skin he looked partially Ishvalan so he blended in. An elderly woman was convinced he was and began speaking to him in her native tongue. All he did was politely shake his head and walk on.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" a boy shorter than Wyatt almost knocked him over. The boy was obviously not Ishvalan. He had pale skin and curly dark hair.

"Oh sor—" The boy was gone before Wyatt could complete his apology. Wyatt was making his way down the market not four steps before he realized something.

Blue eyes. The boy had the brightest blue eyes he'd seen. He also seemed to be moving inhumanly fast. Wyatt spun his head to see the boy swiftly running down an old alley.

Instinct told him to follow, so he did. Wyatt had to nearly run to catch up with the boy. The boy made a sharp turn into a more open part of the city, obviously the Ishvalan side, for it was barren with no one around.

The boy jumped on a dumpster and into a propped open window. Wyatt read the sign that was in English. It was an old studio.

Wyatt finally caught up several seconds later and snuck around to the back where there was a ledge to some high windows. If he were any taller he'd be dead in seconds.

Wyatt took an empty can by a trashcan and barely took the very corner of it to the very corner of the window. No bullets, no sounds. Wyatt got near the corner of the window and slowly peaked through the edge. His heart was spiraling.

There were sounds of shouting, obviously manly and hostile. Wyatt put his head in a more comfortable position out of sight and what he saw almost confused him.

"Didn't I tell you to get me the things sharpened?" A strange looking man with a bald head slapped the boy.

The boy looked ready to maul the man but spit the blood seeping from his mouth and remained still.

"I did," the boy spat vehemently. "The stupid blacksmith pissed me off so I…improvised."

The man only let out a mocking cackle before slamming his bottle of beer at the wall. "Oh, James what am I going to do with you?"

"Boss says we don't need it yet. We need to find him first."

"Right, right," the bald man lit a cigarette and shoved it into his mouth, releasing a cloud of smoke into the air and vanishing into the dim lights on the ceiling.

"Don't you care?!" James roared.

The bald man let his hands up defensively. He let the cigarette out of his mouth. "Calm down, we'll find him. He's probably near here somewhere anyway."

"Then we have those idiots following after us," James let out shaky breaths of anger. He was ready to commit murder.

"That's suicide." The bald man read into the words quickly. He took another casual smoke of his cigarette before putting out the butt on the table and tossing it on the worn down cement.

James stomped over to a window below Wyatt, nearly startling him off of the ledge.

"They're here, I saw them," James narrowed his eyes in hate, as if he could smell the group.

Wyatt needed to release something held back, deep inside himself, but couldn't find his lungs working.

"Oh did you now?" The man was hunched over a map on the table. It was of the world of Fullmetal Alchemist.

The man made a motioning with his hand. James trudged over and stared at the sprawled out map.

"Here—this is where we're going next—" Wyatt couldn't see what they were talking about because the window was beginning to fog over from his breath.

All Wyatt could hear was quiet murmers. They must've sensed something because their attention no longer preluded the map, but all around the walls.

Without a thought, Wyatt's foot slipped off of the ledge, leaving a small crash against the trashcans below. He held his breath and slumped frozen against the glass.

"Jordan they're here!" James hissed.

The next thing he knew, James was now in the form of a small gray-blue rat charging toward the window with the bald man named Jordan scurrying to hold a gun in the corner of the room.

Wyatt found his mind moving slower than his feet. He half slid, half fell off the ledge and scraped a good chunk of skin from his knees on his way down.

"Ooof!" Wyatt hit his back hard on the dirty cement with a loud thump. His light gray shirt was beginning to get dirty marks.

He got up as quickly as he could without falling again. The sounds of growling from James and the clashing of boots creating friction against the sidewalk from Jordan consumed Wyatt's ears.

Wyatt narrowly escaped a corner when he saw both of them—with more men. He found a roof to get onto and climbed up there using wind alchemy. He followed the roofs all the way to the hotel and back through the front.

"You didn't get groceries!" Camile whined.

Wyatt was breathing so fast, and he looked so worn out, like he had been in a fight with a ghost, that everyone stopped what they were once doing and gathered around.

"There was—there was the little guy, the shapeshifter," Wyatt gulped a breath of air. "And no T.M.K. but some of his—buddies. And I saw a map—a map of this world—they are going somewhere but I-I don't know where, I couldn't see I'm sorry!"

Wyatt was talking so fast and with deep breaths of oxygen, one would need a patient set of ears to comprehend.

"They're coming," Wyatt said at last.

Ed, Greed, and Envy all went by the window and drew back the sheer curtains.

"Then let's give them what they want."

* * *

**A/N:** Yay! 11 more chapters left! That's so cool! :D The story is going to get warming up from here on out and working its way toward the very soon climax. Don't worry Envy and Camile lovers, they will be spreading some love shortly!

Questions, comments, or concerns don't be shy to leave a review! ;)


	13. Hostile

**Yuck! I'm sorry for such a long hiatus! Honestly, I've been bombarded with school and projects and exams and family crap that …oh well you don't want to hear my excuses so I'll cut to the chase. This is a short chapter to warm up writing privvy sorry… D: *protects with cucumber***

**Also if anyone is wondering in this story, Envy did not spark the Ishvalan War. Thanks for reviews anyway. Heehee sooo late I know. Ha.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Hostile**

* * *

The shouts got louder.

"So all because of your stupid errands we have T.M.K HIMSELF after us?"

Wyatt shrugged. "Er…yeah."

Ed made a long, heaving sigh with his gloved hand on his face. "Please excuse me for a moment." He then left to go into the bathroom.

"Standing around isn't going to get us anywhere," Izumi's hard voice split through the air like a spoon hitting a pan. "Ed get back out here."

Just the booming command of his old teacher's voice was enough for Ed to rush out the bathroom. He was now more alert and looked a bit more together to fight.

"What's your deal? No sly remarks?" Ed pouted to Envy. Envy had been calmly lounging on the edge of the bed for the past few minutes.

"Can't I stay quiet?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to," Envy snapped. Camile knew he was thinking but didn't say anything. She herself didn't want to be a dog's dinner.

Scar moved closer to the door in the midst of tension. He had his gaze focused firm. His fists were clenching and he had the determination of a hundred in his eyes.

"They're here."

"Already?" Ed was taken aback a bit. Envy smirked at this; it's not like Ed was being a coward but he was thoroughly surprised by the month's past events. Entertaining to watch to the homunculi to say the least.

Scar opened the door and motioned everyone to come outside. The sun still hadn't gone down yet and the smell of sand was tickling to the nose. Determination and intuition was the only other feeling accompanying tension. And a lot of it.

Bella was the only one shaking. She was the only one that she felt couldn't defend herself. What if something happened to the others? No—she couldn't let herself think that way.

A swift motion of air and less than a second of time before James was there.

"Boo."

The rushing of guards and the movement of feet against sand. Bella hid behind Luki as best she could. Everything happened so fast it was surreal. It was like she was watching a movie in slow motion that she couldn't quite get her head around.

The dreamscape came crashing down when James' fury grew. The fight wasn't lasting five minutes before the group cut half of his defenses.

No one paid attention to Scar as he was running into the distance. "This way!" They weren't quite sure what they were running to but they followed nonetheless.

Envy ran with Camile in his arms. She would only slow them down.

In the meantime, James was able to call backup along with Jordan and chase after the group.

Scar was trying to start up what looked like an old beat up golf cart type automobile. It obviously belonged to military officials.

"Come on! Come on!" Scar cried in frustration. Everyone climbed onto the back and held on as best they could. Their eyes widened as James was nearing them with a whole new army with guns. And the bullets were only getting closer.

Alchemy held them off for the while, but for some reason it didn't seem to do much. It was like they just kept coming.

"Outnumbered…" Greed breathed.

Jordan was the closest one now. Everyone held their breath. Envy stepped off the back calmly and morphed his arm right into Jordan's chest. A pool of blood leaked onto the ground and Envy's arm.

Scar finally was successful. "All right! Let's go!"

Envy stepped on calmly as Jordan's dying body hit the ground. Scar stepped on the gas and floored it. Little did they know that Wyatt's position was unfortunate.

With a startled gasp and a leaping heart, Wyatt felt his body lurch forward near the wall of sand. Envy's reaching hand was just seconds late and he missed. He couldn't have felt worse at that moment as Wyatt met face to face with sand.

"WYATT!" Bella shrieked.

"No!" Ed yelled trying to reach for his body in a failed attempt.

"WE HAVE TO GO BACK!" Bella screamed at Scar, shaking his motionless form as he drove.

Scar was silent. He was focused on getting out alive and if that meant losing one of the kids then so be it. Every man for himself.

Envy snarled. "Scar turn back!"

"No." Was the plain reply.

Everyone watched in horror as Wyatt lay on the ground by Jordan's bleeding body. The enemy closing in on him and waiting—for the worst.

The car left the horizon and all that was left of the accident was bitter silence and the sound of heart's beating in their ears.

* * *

The group dragged Wyatt by the arms as James huddled in horror around his friend's body.

"J…James." Jordan wheezed.

James' face scrunched up and tears clouded his vision. "No."

"James…" Jordan hacked up blood.

"This can't happen to you!" The tears finally spilled. "My friend!"

"I'll…be ok…just…kill them…all….it's what he wants…it's what…"

James' eyes widened as he saw the last breath his friend would ever know. Sadness was quickly replaced by rage. Pure hatred marked by clouded vision.

"Boss? What do you want me to do with him?" One guard asked, lifting Wyatt up like a doll.

James looked the darkest he'd ever been. "It's time we got information."

* * *

All was silent in the middle of the desert. The sunset had finally reached a pink and purple low to the sky. The group decided to set up camp with what little they found in the trunk of the car they stole. They were able to make a scrawny bonfire.

Bella had been crying the past hour while Luki just held and comforted her. Camile was silent, watching everyone. Izumi and Al were silent too. Greed was standing, watching Ed throw a fit and curse at himself for letting this happen. Wrath was Envy's shadow as they watched the sunset. And Scar was fixed firmly on the horizon.

"Due west, we should be in Amestris by mid-afternoon."

Ed stomped over to him. "Don't you realize, someone innocent has been kidnapped?! What is wrong with you?!"

Scar was silent.

Ed sighed. "We need to go back and fight!"

"No."

"NO?"

"No."

Ed yelled in exasperation. He stomped and kicked the sand.

"Calm down kid it ain't nobody's fault," Greed said with a solemn expression. "But I have to agree with him, Scar. I'm not one for picking fight's with someone unless I already know them or they got a beef with me. Sooo I say why not rile them up a bit?"

Scar turned around. "And you do realize only you and the rest of your kind would probably end up alive, homunculus?"

Greed shut his mouth.

"In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they found out a way to kill you too."

"There's so much you're not telling us," Ed said. "Why don't you start giving us something now? It's a perfect opportunity after what just happened."

Scar smirked and chuckled. "You sure do catch on fast."

Ed glared.

"Look, I told you a bunch of time already, I can't give you any information. Secrets are meant to be unlocked by the right key. If you have the wrong key at the wrong time in the wrong place, the secrets will forever remain a mystery."

"I don't have time for your philosophy right now, Scar, just tell us."

"I cannot. I'm sorry," Scar said. "Even if I told you, you would all freak out. It doesn't matter what you say to me or how you prepare yourself for it, it wouldn't end pretty."

Ed relaxed himself a little. "So…you're saying…"

"It would be apocalyptic," Scar said as though he had just told his life story.

All were silent.

"We need to go back to Amestris to warn them of an impending attack from these guys. They are relentless. Especially after you killed one of them—" Scar pointed to Envy, "and besides, military tactics and protection is the only advantage I can rest on right now."

Ed frowned. "Roy will look for another shot at glory. I know him. These will be his chance to be in the headlines—'_Roy's A Hero! Fire Alchemist Champion!'_"

Ed sighed.

"I don't think he will after he sees what he's up against," Scar replied.

"You don't know Roy. He'll try anyway."

Scar made a distant "hm" sound as he turned back around to face the sunset. He wasn't sure when he was going to sleep but when he did it would be after everyone else was. He was thinking about everything—good old vindictivism, reflecting with a heavy burden on his heart all that had happened and all that will happen. Thanks to vengeance.


End file.
